Gluten-Free Black and White Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup salted butter or dairy-free butter, room temperature
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ½ cup buttermilk (we make our own by adding 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar to a liquid measuring cup, then adding milk or dairy-free milk to the cup measuring to 1/2 cup, let sit for 5 minutes while it curdles)
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
- 2 1/4 cup gluten-free flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
White Icing
- 1 cup confectioners or powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 ½ teaspoon light corn syrup
- 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons hot water
Black Icing
- 1 cup confectioners or powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1½ teaspoon light corn syrup
- 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons hot water
Instructions
Make the cookies
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.
- In a small bowl, add flour, baking soda and salt and mix together with a fork, whisk or pastry cutter. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, in a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add egg and mix to combine. Then add vanilla extract and lemon extract and mix to combine, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Alternately add flour mix and buttermilk while mixing on low until all the ingredients blended, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed, and starting and ending with the flour. (so add approximately 1/3 of the flour mix, then 1/2 buttermilk, then 1/3 flour mix, 1/2 buttermilk, 1/3 flour mix)
- Using a cookie scoop or 1/4 cup measuring cup, spoon batter onto prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart (I did 6 cookies/ baking sheet). While the batter will spread with regular gluten flour, the batter will stay in the shape you place it in with gluten-free flour, so use your fingers or the back of a measuring cup to gently press down and flatten the cookies, using your fingers to form a circle shape as necessary. To make the cookie super smooth after it's done baking, with slightly wet fingers, smooth and flatten the top of the cookie. (see photos below)
- Bake for 11-13 minutes on center rack, until the center is springy (I like to make sure a toothpick comes out of center clean)... the top/ edges may just be starting to turn golden.
- Let cook on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire baking rack to cook completely.
Make the icing
- While the cookies cool, make the icing. I like to make the white icing first, move to small bowl and then using the same mixing bowl (without cleaning it as it is the same ingredients + cocoa), make the chocolate icing.
- To make white icing, combine powdered sugar, lemon juice, light corn syrup, vanilla and water until glossy, smooth, and spreadable. I use a mixer but you should be able to do by hand as well. As you mix, it will become thinner so don't add extra water unless you really need it as the icing will become too thin. Move to a small bowl and set aside.
- To make black icing, combine powdered sugar, lemon juice, light corn syrup, vanilla, cocoa powder and water until glossy, smooth, and spreadable. I use a mixer but you should be able to do by hand as well. As you mix, it will become thinner so don't add extra water unless you really need it as the icing will become too thin. Move to small bowl and set aside.
Ice the cookies
- When cookies are completely cooled, ice them. If they are not completely cooled, the icing will melt...
- You will be icing the flat side of the cookie, so flip all the cookies over on the wire baking rack so they are rounded side down and place parchment paper or wax paper underneath the baking rack to catch any excess icing.
- Using the backside of a butter knife, score a line down half the cookie. Using a butter knife spread the white icing on one half of the cookie using the knife to gently draw a straight line of icing down the center. Then using a second butter knife, add the black icing to the other side, gently drawing a line down the center as needed. I tend to do all the white icing, then all the black icing, and don't worry if it's not perfectly symmetrical, they are homemade and have fun with it!
- Let icing set completely, keeping cookies on the baking rack before storing.