Gluten Free Cinnamon Shortbread Cookies

Step 1

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position, pre-heat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC) and line a large baking sheet with baking/greaseproof paper. Tip: You will bake the cookies in several batches, so you can line 2-3 baking sheets if you have them on hand. Otherwise, just re-use the same baking sheet, but make sure to cool it completely before you place the next batch of unbaked cookies onto it.

Step 2

In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, mix together the softened butter, superfine/caster sugar and vanilla bean paste until combined. Don’t cream the butter – just stir it all together until you get a homogeneous mixture.Tip: You don't want to cream the butter and sugar together, as that aerates the mixture (that is, it incorporates air into it), which can cause cookies to spread and lose shape in the oven.

Step 3

Sift together the gluten free flour blend, cornstarch, cinnamon, xanthan gum and salt, and add them to the butter-sugar mixture. Mix well until combined. Initially, you’ll get a VERY CRUMBLY dough – that's okay.

Step 4

Knead the dough by hand until it comes together in a ball – this might take up to 5 minutes, but the dough should come together eventually. (See post for photos.)

Step 5

Roll out the cookie dough between two sheets of baking/greaseproof paper to a thickness of about 5mm. Tip: Rolling out cookie dough between two sheets of baking/greaseproof/parchment paper prevents it from cracking during rolling. It also eliminates the need for dusting your work surface with extra flour, as you don't want to incorporate more flour into the cookie dough.

Step 6

Once you’ve rolled out the dough to a thickness of about 5mm, cut out the cookies using a star-shaped cookie cutter (I used a cookie cutter about 6cm/2½ inches in diameter, which gives a total of 30 cookies.)Tip: You can use a small offset spatula to lift the cut cookies off the baking paper. Be gentle with them as they're fairly fragile.

Step 7

Mix together the sugar and cinnamon for the cinnamon sugar, and place the mixture into a shallow bowl or a deep plate.

Step 8

Press one side of a cookie into the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Then, flip it around and press the other side into cinnamon sugar as well (be gentle: the cookies are fairly delicate). Transfer to a lined baking sheet and repeat with the rest of the cookie dough (re-rolling the scraps as you go along until you use up all the cookie dough). You don't need to space the cookies widely apart, as they don't spread significantly during baking. I usually fit around 20 cookies per baking sheet.

Step 9

Bake at 350ºF (180ºC) for 16-18 minutes until light golden brown.

Step 10

Allow to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Step 11

Storage: The cookies keep well in an airtight container in a cool dry place for 1-2 weeks.