Gluten-Free Christmas Cookies – No Rolling Pin Required
/Even though I love to cook I am not the baker in the family. I have always resisted making Christmas Cookies because many of the recipes require chilling the dough in the refrigerator and using a rolling pin to roll the dough into a flat layer. That seemed like too much work, especially around Christmas when there’s already quite a bit of extra work to be done.
So I was pleasantly surprised when I found that there are holiday silicone molds that are heat-resistant and can be used to make Christmas Cookies. This cookie recipe doesn’t require a rolling pin and you can simply spread the batter into the silicone mold.
Decorate with colored sugar, candies, cake icing, or holiday sprinkles and you’re done with plenty of time to trim the tree and enjoy that cup of hot cocoa while you wait for Santa.
Gluten-Free Christmas Cookies
This gluten-free Christmas Cookie recipe bypasses the step of refrigerating and rolling out the cookie dough by using heat-resistant silicone baking molds to form the cookie shape. Decorate the cookies with the simple Royal Icing recipe below and some colored sugar or holiday sprinkles (check ingredients label for gluten). This recipe makes enough batter to fill 2 medium sized cookie molds.
For the Cookie Batter
1 TBSP powdered sugar (to dust the molds)
10 TBSP softened butter (1 stick plus 2 TBSP)
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons gluten-free vanilla extract *
1/4 cup milk
2 cups gluten free all-purpose “1-to-1” flour like Bob’s Red Mill brand *
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp gluten-free baking powder *
Note: * Look for package markings that show the words ‘Gluten Free’ or the letters ‘GF’ to indicate the product is gluten-free.
For the Royal Icing
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 TBSP milk
Food coloring (optional)
For Decoration
Gluten-free candies, cake icing, colored sugar, or decorative sprinkles (manufacturer Wilton uses rice flour and cornstarch instead of wheat flour in many of their products – check the label before purchasing).
Wilton
Makes holiday sprinkles with no gluten-containing ingredients
Cookware and Utensils
Pastry brush or clean artist’s paint brush
2 medium mixing bowls
Electric mixer
One or more silicone cookie molds with holiday shapes (check manufacturer specifications for heat-resistance to 400 degrees F)
Metal baking sheet(s) to support cookie mold(s) in oven
Plastic thin ‘scraper’ spatula to spread cookie batter
Small bowl for Royal Icing
Instructions
1. Position an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Use the pastry brush or a clean artist’s paint brush to dust the interior wells of the cookie mold(s) with a fine layer of powdered sugar so that the cookies will unmold easier. Hold the mold over the sink, turn the mold upside down, and lightly tap the mold to dislodge excess powdered sugar into the sink. Place the mold on the metal baking sheet for support.
3. Add the softened butter to the mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer beat the butter on low speed until it is creamy.
4. Add the sugar to the mixing bowl. Beat the sugar and butter on low speed until the sugar is well mixed into the butter.
5. Add the egg, vanilla, and milk to the mixing bowl. Beat the butter and sugar mixture on low speed until the egg, vanilla, and milk are well mixed.
6. In a second clean mixing bowl add the gluten-free flour, the baking powder, and the salt. Mix the baking powder and salt evenly into the flour.
7. Add half the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture. Beat the butter and sugar mixture on low speed until the flour is well mixed.
8. Add the second half of the flour mixture to the cookie batter. Beat on low speed until all the flour is combined. The batter will be thick.
9. With the silicone cookie mold placed on top of the metal baking sheet use the plastic scraper spatula to scoop a small amount of cookie batter. Fill the wells of the mold by pushing the batter into the crevices until the wells are 2/3 full. Use the spatula to scrape away excess batter. Wet a clean paper towel and use it to clean the top surface of the mold.
10. Transfer the cookie mold and baking sheet to the oven. Bake each filled cookie mold for 10-14 minutes at 350 degrees F until the edges of the cookie just begins to turn golden. The surface of the cookie may develop cracks, this is normal and will not show as this is the underside of the finished cookie.
11. When the cookies are just beginning to turn golden remove the cookie mold and baking sheet from the oven. Cool on an unused grate of your stovetop or a cooling rack. Let the cookies cool down completely to room temperature. Warm cookies will break apart as you are unmolding them so be patient and allow the cookies to cool to room temperature.
12. While the cookies are cooling make the Royal Icing. Add 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and 1 TBSP of milk to a small bowl. Stir with a fork until a thin icing forms. You may add a few drops of food color if desired.
13. After the cookies have cooled to room temperature lift the cookie mold off the baking sheet. Line the baking sheet with wax paper, parchment paper, or aluminum foil.
14. Very carefully invert the cooled cookie mold a few inches over the baking sheet. Gently push the back side of the wells of the mold to pop out the cookies.
15. Use the pastry brush to brush a thin layer of Royal Icing on the top surface of the cookies.
16. Decorate each cookie with gluten-free colored sugar or sprinkles if desired.
17. Silicone molds clean up easily if immediately placed in warm soapy water to soak after use.
Still Looking for Last Minute Holiday Gifts?
Consider gifting a copy of our Easy Delicious Gluten-Free Skillet Meals cookbook. At $3.99 it’s a gift they’ll enjoy the entire year and it can be sent instantaneously by email from Amazon.
This electronic cookbook (ebook) is readable on Kindle readers and most other electronic devices (smart phones, I-Pads, personal computers) when you download and use the free Kindle Reader App.
$3.99
Easy Delicious
Gluten-Free
Skillet Meals
Cookbook
If you’ve never gifted an ebook before Amazon has good instructions on their website.
It’s an easy process that begins with pressing the “Give as a Gift” button below the buy buttons on the Amazon product page. Be sure to send your friend the link for the free Kindle Reader App.
