Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies (Cut-Out or Drop Cookies)

• Exact number of cookies will depend entirely on the size and shapes you make from the dough.
• Xanthan Gum: Xanthan gum is super important with gluten-free baking, so make sure to use a gluten-free flour that includes it. If yours doesn’t include it, add ¼ teaspoon of xanthan gum for every 1 cup of flour.
• Measuring Flour: Use the spoon-and-level method to ensure you don’t use too much flour! Add spoonfuls of flour to your measuring cup, then use the back of a knife to level the top of the flour once the measuring cup is full. Don’t pack the flour into the cup!
• Rolling Cookie Dough: Check under the cookie dough frequently to make sure it’s not sticking to your work surface. You’ll want to work with the dough while it’s chilled – if it becomes warm, sticky, or hard to roll, return it to the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Alternately, chill a cookie sheet and place it directly on top of the cookie dough to cool it down.
• Cutting Cookie Dough: If the cookie cutters stick to the dough, lightly grease them with butter or cooking spray, or lightly dust the edges of the cookie cutters with powdered sugar.
• Buttercream Flavors: To change the flavor of the frosting, feel free to replace the vanilla extract with almond extract, peppermint extract, lemon extract, orange extract, or any other flavor you like.
• Decorations: Make sure any sprinkles or other decorations you use are actually gluten free!
• Storage: Store frosted cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days. Frosted cookies can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 7 days. Baked sugar cookies without frosting can be kept at room temperature in an airtight container up to 7 days.
• Freezer Cookies: After decorating the cookies, lay them out on a baking sheet, plate, or platter in a single layer, making sure they don’t overlap. Place them in the freezer for 1 hour. After 1 hour, transfer them to an airtight container or food-safe sealable freezer bag. Use wax or parchment paper between each layer to keep the cookies from sticking together. Cookies can be frozen up to 3 months. Defrost desired number of cookies at room temperature before consuming.

For Drop Cookies (Round Cookies Without Cookie Cutters)

1. Follow the cookie dough recipe as written. Once the dough is ready, cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and chill the dough in the mixing bowl for 2 hours. Don’t divide the dough in half or wrap it in wax paper.
2. After 2 hours, remove the bowl from the fridge and discard the plastic wrap. Use a cookie scoop to scoop equal portions of dough out of the bowl. Roll each scoop between the palms of your hands (work quickly – don’t let the dough get warm) and then place the dough ball on the greased cookie sheet.
3. Once all the dough has been rolled into balls, gently flatten each dough ball with your fingers. Make sure each individual flattened dough ball is the same thickness all the way across, but also make sure all your flattened cookies are the same size and the same thickness or they won’t bake evenly!
4. Once all the dough balls have been flattened into uniform round cookies, bake the cookies at 375° Fahrenheit for 5 minutes, then begin checking how “done” they are. Check them every 60 seconds and remove them from the oven once the bottom edges just as they barely start to brown.
5. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheets 2 minutes, then transfer them to wire cooling racks and set them aside until they’re completely cool.
6. Decorate as desired and serve!