Classic Gluten Free Shortbread Food

CLASSIC GLUTEN FREE SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 13 inch x 9 inch baking pan with parchment paper (or waxed) paper and butter the paper.
• In a medium bowl, beat butter and sugar until well combined. Beat in vanilla extract. Beat in flour. Dough will first form pea-sized lumps, then will quickly start to come together. Stop beating as soon as dough starts to form one big lump.
• Turn dough onto parchment (or waxed) paper in baking pan. Place another sheet of paper over dough. Using an offset spatula or your hands, pat dough down firmly and evenly into pan, making sure you fill in the corners.
• Prick dough all over with a fork. Bake for 20 minutes or until shortbread is golden and edges are just beginning to color.
• Cool for about 15 minutes in baking pan, then cut as desired with a sharp knife. Allow to cool in pan before serving.
• This is another recipe that has many possible variations. Here are a few of my favorites:
• Cardamom shortbread--Omit the vanilla and substitute 1 teaspoon of ground cardamom
• Chocolate chip shortbread--Beat in 1 cup of mini chocolate chips after adding the flour
• Ginger chip shortbread--Omit vanilla and substitute 1 teaspoon ground ginger, after beating in the flour, beat in 1/2 cup of crystallized ginger chips (Ginger People and Reeds both sell those packaged or simply dice your own from chunks of candied crystallized ginger).

GLUTEN FREE LEMON SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 150 deg C.
• Soften but do not melt the butter.
• Mix all ingredients in a food processor until smooth and well combined.
• Roll dough on a maize cornflour dusted surface to a 1 cm thickness. Cut into fingers or press out shapes using a cookie cutter.
• Place on a baking tray and prick with a fork.
• Bake for 25-30 mins until pale but crisp (longer slower baking is the trick with shortbread).
• Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container.
• For Christmas I am going to use almond essence instead of the lemon and dip one end in chocolate.

GLUTEN-FREE LEMON SHORTBREADS

Steps:

• Line a 20 x 20cm cake tin with baking parchment. Blitz the flour, butter, half the icing sugar and the lemon zest together in a food processor until the mixture looks sandy. Add half the lemon juice and blitz again until the dough starts to clump together. At this stage, the dough will keep wrapped and frozen for up to two months. Heat the oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3.
• Press half the dough into the base of the tin using your fingertips, ensuring it's in an even layer. Spread the curd over the dough, leaving a ½cm border of around the edge.
• Roll the remaining dough into cherry tomato-sized balls, then press these into flat discs using your fingers. Arrange the dough discs over the layer of curd in a random patchwork pattern until completely covered. Bake for 35 mins until the shortbread is pale and lightly golden at the edges. Leave to cool completely in the tin.
• Mix the remaining icing sugar with enough of the remaining lemon juice to make a pourable icing. Drizzle this over the cooled shortbread and leave to set, then cut into 16 squares. Will keep in an airtight container for three days.

GLUTEN-FREE SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Mix butter, both sugars (not coloured), and flour together.
• Work well with hands until it will hold together.
• Make 4 rolls about 1 1/2" in diameter, wrap, and chill for at least 6 hours.
• Slice 1/4" thick and arrange on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
• Sprinkle cookies with sugar, if desired.
• Bake cookies in a preheated 350* oven for 10-15 minutes until very lightly burned around the edges.
• Remove to wire rack to cool.
• Enjoy!

GLUTEN-FREE SALTED CARAMEL MILLIONAIRE'S SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line the base of a 20cm square cake tin and lightly butter the sides. Blitz the flour, butter and sugar with a pinch of salt and 2 tbsp ice cold water in a food processor until you have a clumpy mixture. Press this into the prepared tin and bake for 25 mins until light golden. Set aside to cool completely.
• For the caramel, place all of the ingredients in a saucepan. Melt everything together over a low-medium heat until the sugar has dissolved, then turn up the heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir continuously for 8-10 mins until the mixture has thickened and darkened a little. Pour the mixture over the biscuit base and chill for 2 hrs.
• Once the caramel is set, melt the two chocolates in separate bowls, either in short bursts in the microwave or or set over a pan of gently simmering water. Spoon both chocolates over the caramel, then gently swirl it using a cocktail stick to create a marbled effect. Chill for a further 40 mins. Bring to room temperature before slicing into 12 squares.