Gluten Free Christmas Cookies Using Pan Mold

Ingredients:

For the Cookies:
• 1/4 cup almond flour
• 1/4 cup Italian chestnut flour (or replace with more almond flour)
• 1/4 brown or white rice flour
• 1/4 cup white or brown rice flour + extra for dusting
• 1/4 cup potato starch
• 1/4 cup tapioca starch
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1/2 teaspoon guar gum
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter at room temperature
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Nuts of your choice for topping cookies
• Powdered sugar for dusting top of cookies (optional)
For the Icing:
• 1 cup powder sugar
• 3 1/2 teaspoons milk of your choosing (Do not use Rice Dream, as it's not gluten-free, last time I checked.)
• 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract
• Natural food coloring, a few drops (optional)

Instructions:

To make the Cookies:
1. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper; set aside; or use a non-greased, non-stick cookie form pan.

2. Whisk all dry ingredients (except sugar and nuts) in a bowl and set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F.
4. Cream butter in mixer, scraping sides of bowl as needed. If the butter is just out of the refrigerator you can microwave it for about 10 seconds to soften it. Do not allow it melt though.
5. Add sugar; cream thoroughly.
6. Add egg and vanilla and blend well on high, scraping bowl as needed.
7. Add dry ingredient mixture in 3 or 4 parts; blend on high until creamy.
8. If using a plain cookie sheet, using a cookie cutter, cut the desired shape and place them onto the cookie sheets, spacing 2 inches apart (12 per cookie sheet). If using a cookie form pan press needed amount in each form, making it level, but not above the rest of the pan. The cookie will rise enough on its own. Make sure you have no air pockets at the bottom or it will show up in the baked cookie more predominantly. Press down with the bottom of a glass to form discs and smooth out any cracks. Press nuts into the top of each cookie.
9. Bake for about 12 minutes or until you notice the bottom edges slightly brown on the cookie sheet or or the top edges on a cookie form pan.
10. Remove from oven. Allow to cool for about 1 minute or until you can comfortable pick them up without burning yourself, about 5 minutes or more.
11. Remove cookies from cookie sheets and place on cooling rack until thoroughly cooled.
To Make the Icing:
12. Mix powdered sugar and milk until creamy. Add almond extract and corn syrup; mix until shiny and smooth. If the icing is too thick, add more milk; if too runny, add more sugar.
13. If using food coloring, divide the mixture into separate containers; add a different color, a little bit at a time until you reach your desired colors. Using a clean paint brush, paint the background white (no food coloring) and then decorate with colors. You will either want to use several paintbrushes for different colors or wash the paintbrushes and dry them before using them with another color.

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