Easy Gluten Free Lemon Cookies Recipe: They Melt in Your Mou

• servings: 18 servings
• active time: 15 minutes
• total time: 27 minutes

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all purpose gluten free flour blend

3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)

1/3 cup arrowroot

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)

12 tablespoons unsalted butter (at room temperature)

1 egg white (at room temperature)

2 teaspoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice (plus more as necessary)

granulated sugar (for dipping drop cookies)

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

2 to 4 teaspoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice

Yellow gel food coloring (optional)

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper and set it aside.

In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, cornstarch, baking powder, salt and confectioners’ sugar, and whisk to combine well.

Add the lemon zest and mix to combine, breaking up any clumps of zest. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the butter, egg white, and 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice, mixing to combine after each addition.

The dough will be thick and smooth. Add more lemon juice by the half-teaspoonful and knead it in with clean, dry hands as necessary to bring the dough together.

To make drop cookies

Scoop the dough by the heaping tablespoon onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 1 1/2-inches between pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a round between the palms of your hands, and press down slightly into a thick disk.

Press with the moistened tines of a fork into a small bowl of granulated sugar, then press down on the top of each piece of dough until the tines leave an impression about 1/4-inch deep.

To make cutout cookies

Lightly flour a flat surface with all purpose gluten free flour. Place the cookie dough on top, and flour the top.

Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a rectangle that’s about 1/4-inch to 1/3-inch thick. Sprinkle with more all purpose gluten free flour as necessary to prevent the rolling pin from sticking to the dough.

Lightly flour a round cookie cutter that’s about 1 1/2-inches in diameter. Cut out rounds from the dough.

Transfer the rounds to the prepared baking sheet, placing them about 1 1/2 inches apart from one another.

For both cookie shapes

Place the baking sheet in the center of the preheated oven and bake until the cookies are lightly golden brown on the edges and firm to the touch (about 12 minutes).

Remove from the oven and allow them to cool completely on the baking sheet. If you try to move them before they’ve cooled, they may be fragile.

For the (optional) glaze

When the cookies are cool, make the glaze. In a small bowl, place the confectioners’ sugar and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, and mix well.

Add more lemon juice by the half-teaspoon, stirring to combine after each addition until you have a smooth but very thickly pourable glaze. Add the optional yellow food coloring, if using.

Drizzle the glaze in a zigzag pattern on top of each cooled cookie or spread on the tops of the cutout cookies. Allow to set at room temperature.