After years of perfecting this recipe for gluten free piped shortbread cookies, it is ready for publishing and consumption! Pipe them into circles or logs; dip them in chocolate or not; or dip them in both white and dark chocolate for a black and white version. I include very important tips that ensure that you have success with this recipe. These gluten free piped shortbread cookies are good any time of the year.
Important Steps
- Add milk to the dough. It not only thins the batter, making it easier to pipe but helps the dough to rise so that you don’t end up with flat cookies.
- The dough should not be sticky. When you touch the dough, it should not stick to your fingers.
- Pipe the dough immediately after mixing using a very large piping tip.
- If you do not begin piping immediately after the dough is made, it may become too difficult to pipe. In this case, scoop it back into the mixing bowl and beat in an additional 1/2 teaspoon milk.
- I like to first pipe out a couple of cookies on a small baking sheet and then pipe out the rest onto traditional baking sheets. I bake them to test out the consistency of the dough and baking time. If they are too flat, the dough needs a tad more flour. Just scoop up all of the piped dough and add it back to the mixing bowl.
For Gluten Free Danish Butter Cookies:
For a higher rise as seen in the photo of the cookies dipped in chocolate, add 1 large egg white to the butter-sugar mixture. Just keep in mind that shortbread cookies are more rich and buttery.
For Gluten Free Shortbread Cookies:
See the photo of the wreath-shaped cookie to get an idea of the height of the shortbread cookies. Danish butter cookies rise higher and are lighter due to the egg white.
If you use 5.7g of flour and 2 teaspoons of milk, it will create a higher cookie (see photo below). However, the more flour you use, the less buttery they taste. I suggest using the additional flour and milk when dipping them in chocolate. As the chocolate makes very rich.
Watch the Video on How to Pipe Gluten Free Shortbread Cookie Dough.
Discover the buttery goodness you can achieve with shortbread in this piped version.
Ingredients:
- 8 tablespoons (1/2 cup or 1 stick) cold unsalted butter (European*), cut into 8 pieces
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar (4 ounces by weight)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg white (30 g) (or 2 tablespoons white kidney bean liquid from a can) (for Danish Butter Cookies only)
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons Carla's Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Blend Recipe (5.5 ounces by weight)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/2 teaspoons milk, or as needed (I used nonfat)
- 1 cup (6 ounces) gluten-free semisweet chocolate chips (Nestle's)
- 1 teaspoon vegetable shortening (Spectrum Organic)
Instructions:
- If using parchment paper, secure the paper by piping a tiny dot of dough under the paper in each of the four corners. Fit a pastry bag with a large star tip. I use Wilton disposable pastry bags (less clean up) fitted with a Wilton's 4B tip with the points completely straightened so as to allow more dough to flow through it.)
- Place the bag in a large, sturdy glass and fold the bag over the glass so that the tip just reaches the bottom of the glass; set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
- Place the butter pieces in a small saucer; microwave for 19 seconds. (Microwave temperatures vary. My microwave is 1200 watts.) Transfer the softened butter to the bowl of your mixer.
- Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla; mix just until combined.
- If making Danish Butter Cookies, add the egg white and beat just until combined.
- Sprinkle in the salt and add the flour in three parts, mixing after each addition, just until the dough comes together.
- Add the milk and beat just long enough to evenly distributed, just a few seconds.
- Scoop the dough into the prepared pastry bag. The dough must be piped immediately. Lay the bag on its side. Using a sturdy wooden spoon. push the dough upward, towards the tip. Twist the top and pipe the dough out on the prepared baking sheets into the shapes of logs or wreathes. Bake on the center shelf of the oven and bake for 11 to 13 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 4 minutes. Then, transfer the cookies directly to the wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, feel free to dip them in chocolate. Dip one or both ends of logs in dark and/or white chocolate. Add sprinkles if desired. You can also dip a portion of each wreath-shaped cookie in chocolate, either white or dark.
- To melt the chocolate, place the chopped chocolate and shortening in a heat-proof glass bowl over a pan of simmering water. Allow the chocolate to melt, stir, remove from the heat, and set on a cool burner.
- Set something out that you can rest your cookies on while the chocolate sets. For double-sided dipping, two wooden or metal dowels work well. Just set the uncoated portion of the cookie on top of the dowels. Alternatively, rest them on the bottom of a glass over a baking sheet. Otherwise just set them on a sheet of parchment paper until completely set. For single dipping, rest them over the edge of the counter with the pull out chopping board out a little bit. Be sure to cover the chopping board with something disposable like paper towels or parchment. Dip as desired and allow to set wherever y
- Store in an airtight container on the countertop or freeze. They are fragile cookies. So, treat them with care.
Tips
*I use European butter, which contains a higher amount of fat compared to traditional, American butter.