Chronicle Books Blog

This week’s guest blogger is the fabulous Karen Morgan of Austin, Texas’ Blackbird Bakery.

Celiac disease is on the rise (more than 3 million Americans and an equal number of Europeans have been diagnosed), and millions more seek gluten-free products to supplement a healthy lifestyle. With this cookbook, gluten-conscious gluttons can dish up all sorts of delectable desserts—anytime the craving strikes!

Let us know what you think of the recipe, leave a comment, and enter to win a random copy of the cookbook I’ll be giving away.

Without further ado, here’s Karen of Blackbird Bakery.

What would the holidays be without sugar cookies? Why are they so synonymous with the holiday season? I like to think it’s because of their versatility. You can cut them into any shape you please and ice them any way you desire, making their myriad possibilities virtually limitless, depending on the size of your cookie cutter collection.

So when you live the gluten free lifestyle, being able to make a holiday staple like the sugar cookie can prove to be a challenge, at least until now. This particular recipe took a solid month of experimentation because a sugar cookie has to have a slightly crunchy exterior that surrenders to a soft supple center while maintaining its shape while baking. I became obsessed with striking this harmonious balance and refused to give up until these requirements were satisfied.

Besides, my son Leo absolutely loves sugar cookies, and Halloween is his favorite holiday, so it became a mission of the heart, even though he insisted that they all be in the shape of skulls and bones. Plus, Santa Claus always leaves us a note asking for more of those gluten free sugar cookies. You know it’s a sign of the times when even Santa Claus insists on eating gluten free.

Perfectly delicious and extremely easy to make, these sugar cookies will allow you to maintain your gluten free lifestyle without missing out on all the heartfelt moments that define the holidays. And they store beautifully in case you need to chase off a few ghosts in the middle of the night.

Leo’s Classic Sugar Cookies
Makes 12 large or 24 medium cookies

I named these sugar cookies after my son because he’s the one who insisted that I make calaveras mexicanas, sugar cookies shaped like a skull and bones, for Halloween (they’re traditional in these parts for the Mexican Day of the Dead.) Well, how can anyone refuse such a request? The beauty of these sugar cookies is that they actually hold their shape throughout the baking process. Some recipes survive through time for a reason: because they are unflinchingly satisfying and unapologetically comforting, and most of all, simply sublime. Will this gluten-free version of the classic join the ranks? Only time will tell . . . but I humbly beseech you to see for yourself.

1/4 cup sorghum flour
3/4 cup glutinous rice flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
2 teaspoons guar gum
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons vegetable shortening, preferable nonhydrogenated
4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
2 large egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Royal Icing (recipe follows)

Special equipment: Ateco plain stainless steel tip No. 5

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine all the dry ingredients and mix on low speed to blend.

Add the vegetable shortening and butter and mix on low speed for about 5 minutes, or until blended. Add the egg whites, almond extract, and vanilla and mix on medium-high speed until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and forms a nice ball.

Empty the dough onto a work surface dusted with tapioca flour. If the dough appears sticky, sprinkle the top with some additional tapioca flour, and knead until smooth. Shape the dough into two disks. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or preferably overnight.

To bake the cookies: Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Let one of the disks sit at room temperature for 10 minutes to soften slightly. Lightly dust a work surface with glutinous rice flour and roll out the dough, rotating and turning it to keep it from sticking. Roll the dough out to a thickness of just under 1/4 inch; any thinner and the cookies will not hold their shape.

Using cookie cutters, cut out cookies and transfer them to the prepared pans. Bake one pan at a time for 7 minutes, or until the edges begin to color. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

To ice cookies, paint a thin layer of Royal Icing over each cookie. Allow base icing to harden, about 15 minutes. Using a pastry bag fitted with a No. 5 tip, draw the designs you desire on each cookie.

Royal Icing
Makes 1 1/2 cups

2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons meringue powder (see tip)
1/4 cup cool water
Food coloring(s) of choice

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar, meringue powder, and water together on medium speed until smooth and slightly fluffy, about 3 minutes. For a fluffier icing, beat longer. For a thinner icing, add more water, 1 teaspoonful at a time, until you have your desired consistency. Stir in food coloring of your choice one small drop at a time to find your desired color.

Blackbird Bakery Tip: I use meringue powder here instead of raw egg whites to avoid any food-borne pathogens that could cause illness. Meringue powder, or freeze-dried egg whites, helps to make a nice, firm icing. It is widely available in supermarkets and kitchenware stores.

Purchase Blackbird Bakery Gluten-Free.

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