Gluten-Free Hanukkah Sugar Cookies

After a heavy meal of potato latkes for Hanukkah, it’s nice to have a lighter dessert, like these gluten-free cut-out sugar cookies — perfect for any holiday. For our family Hanukkah celebration this year, I contributed a big batch of unfrosted gluten-free cookies, along with bowls of colored icing for frosting the cookies. The kids frosted the festively shaped cookies at the party, providing lots of fun entertainment and only minimal mess.

This recipe makes about four dozen gluten-free cookies — good for a large crowd. The dough holds together well when rolled out, and the cut-out cookies retain their shape nicely. (I wish I could say the same for my shape.) The cookies have a delicate shortbread flavor that is nicely balanced by the smooth, sweet frosting.

I’m very excited to participate in the first-ever Hanukkah Blog Party, hosted by Leah of Cook Kosher and Miriam of Overtime Cook, who have put together a fabulous array of Hanukkah-themed recipes, treats and crafts from Jewish bloggers all over the world!

Scroll down for links to delicious Hanukkah treats from other bloggers, and for information on a cookbook giveaway — which you can enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post!

Gluten-Free Hanukkah Sugar Cookies

(gluten-free, dairy or dairy-free)
By Gluten-Free Nosh
Print this recipe

Sugar Cookie Ingredients:

• 3 cups gluten-free flour blend:
  1 cup brown rice flour
  1/2 cup sorghum flour
  1/2 cup tapioca starch
  1/2 cup potato starch
  1/2 cup sweet rice flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or dairy-free margarine
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Cookie Frosting Ingredients:

• 1 pound (3 3/4 cups) confectioners’ sugar
• 5 tablespoons milk or milk substitute
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• Food coloring
• Gluten-free sprinkles

Method:

1. Gently whisk together gluten-free flours, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt in a large bowl; set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until eggs are well-incorporated. Stir in vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture, mixing until combined.
3. Divide dough into three balls, kneading balls a few times to make sure dough is smooth. Wrap balls in waxed paper and refrigerate for one hour or overnight.
4. When you’re ready to cut out the cookies, preheat oven to 375 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
5. Spread a generous amount of brown rice flour on your work surface and roll out one-third of dough at a time, keeping the rest in the refrigerator until needed. Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. If dough is sticky, knead in a little extra rice flour and roll between two pieces of waxed paper. Cut dough into shapes with cookie cutters. Transfer cookies, spacing 1 inch apart, to lined baking sheets.
6. Bake cookies at 375 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes, until edges are light brown. Cool on baking sheet before removing to wire rack.
7. To frost cookies, place confectioners’ sugar, milk, corn syrup and vanilla extract in a large bowl and mix with a fork until it reaches a smooth, thick, spreadable consistency, like honey. If frosting is too stiff, add a little more milk. If it’s too liquidy, add more confectioners’ sugar.
8. Divide frosting into a few bowls and stir a couple drops of food coloring into each bowl. Frost the cookies with a knife or offset spatula. You can also add sprinkles before the frosting sets.
9. If you want white frosting, omit the vanilla extract (which turns the frosting a light tan) and sub an extra tablespoon of milk instead.

Yield: About 50 frosted cookies

Cookbook Giveaway

To help get everyone into party mode, the Hanukkah Blog Party has a bunch of fabulous new cookbooks to give away! To enter, leave a comment at the bottom of this gluten-free sugar cookie post for your chance to win one of:

• 2 copies of Susie Fishbein’s new Kosher By Design Cooking Coach (sponsored by Artscroll)
• 2 copies of Leah Schapira’s Fresh and Easy Kosher Cooking (sponsored by Artscroll)
• 2 copies of Esther Deutch’s CHIC Made Simple (sponsored by the author)

Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM Eastern time on Sunday, December 16. *Update: 12/17: Giveaway is now closed.* Limit one entry per person per blog, so visit the other blogs for extra chances to win. Prizes can only be shipped within the US. Entries must be accompanied by a valid email address in order to qualify.

Hanukkah Blog Party

This is the second of many fabulous Holiday Blog Parties. If you would like to be added to the mailing list to participate in future parties, please email holidayblogparties@gmail.com

Stop by the other blogs and check out these Hanukkah-themed recipes. Please note that not all the recipes in the collection are gluten-free.

Latkes:

• Jamie from Joy of Kosher made Zucchini Latkes with Tzatziki
• Daniel from Peikes Cookbook made Potato and Fennel Latkes Fried in Duck Fat With Chinese Five Spice Apple Sauce
• Susan from The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen made Squash and Potato Latkes
• Samantha from The Little Ferraro Kitchen made Ruby Red Beet Latkes with Cumin
• Nechamah from TIforOA Food Ideas made Healthy Oatmeal Latkes
• Liz from The Lemon Bowl made Traditional Potato Latkes
• Yosef from This American Bite made Latkes & Brisket on Rye
• Melanie from From Fast Food to Fresh Food made (I Can’t Believe They’re Crispy!) Baked Latkes
• Laura from Mother Would Know made Three Variations of Sweet and Savory Latkes
• Sarah from Crispy Bits and Burnt Ends made Kimchee Latkes
• Shulie from Food Wanderings made Baked Panko Sweet Potato Leek Latkes

Donuts and Desserts:

• Miriam from Overtime Cook made Shortcut Cannoli with Chocolate Mousse Filling
• Leah from Cook Kosher made 5 Minute Donuts
• Estee from The Kosher Scoop made Tropical Fruit Fritters
• Melinda from Kitchen-Tested made Sweet Steamed Buns
• Amy from What Jew Wanna Eat made Homemade Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Gelt
• Avidan from Baking It Up As I Go Along made Orange Olive Oil Cake
• Tali from More Quiche Please made Glazed Chocolate Donut Holes
• Amital from Organized Jewish Home made Mom’s Sour Cream Sugar Cookies
• Princess Lea from The Frumanista made Túrógombóc
• Stephanie and Jessica from The Kosher Foodies made Beignets
• Gigi from Gigi’s Kitchen made Bunuelos: Mini Powdered Cheese Donuts
• Esther from Esther O Designs made Edible Menorahs
• Patti from No Bacon Here made Hanukkah Oreo Balls
• Shoshana from Couldn’t Be Parve made Churros con Chocolate
• Shaindy from My Happily Hectic Life made Inside Out Apple Crisp
• Eve from Gluten Free Nosh made Gluten-Free Hanukkah Sugar Cookies
• Amy from Baking and Mistaking made Mini Cream-Filled French Beignets
• Sarah from Food, Words, Photos made Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
• Victoria from Itsy Bitsy Balebusta made Pure Vanilla Donuts
• Vicky and Ruth from May I Have That Recipe made Dulce de Leche and Eggnog Cream-Filled Mini Sufganiot
• Dena from Oh You Cook made Poached Pears in Pomegranate Sauce
• Michele from Kosher Treif Cooking made Tiramisu Cheessecake
• Sharon from FashionIsha made Sparkly Chanukah Cookies

Appetizers, Soups, Sauces, Drinks and other Hanukkah Food:

• Laura from Pragmatic Attic made Caramel Spice Applesauce
• Jessie from Bread and Butter made Honey Spiced Hanukkah Martini
• G6 from Guess Who’s Coming 2 Dinner made Sweet Potato Leek Soup
• Claire from I Love Soup made Sweet Potato, Coconut & Lemongrass Soup
• Jennifer from Juanita’s Cocina made Kugel
• Liz from Kosher Like Me made Ready, Stuff Roll!
• Shelley from The Kosher Home made Hanukkah Crafts and Printables

Happy Hanukkah! What are some of your favorite gluten-free Hanukkah foods? Let us know by leaving a comment below.