Gluten Free Thumbprint Cookies February 13 2015

How can it be gluten free? Oh darling... it can! It can! And it can taste good too (bonus)! After many months of researching gluten and how it can effect someone's body who has a gluten sensitivity or is a celiac. It really was an eye opener! And it especially hit home for me because my husband has a gluten sensitivity and has come to terms with it. So needless to say, any breads, cookies, cakes, pasta, etc that comes in our home is wheat free! 

During the holidays I really enjoy thumbprint cookies, and making them gluten free was my task. Being that Valentine's day was only days away, I incoporated my heart shaped cookie cutter, and made a few festive cookies as well. 

Here's the recipe: (note: the recipe was adapted from allrecipes.com)

2 cups all purpose gluten free flour (I used America's Test Kitchen Gluten Free Flour Blend)
3/4 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup fine granulated sugar
4 tablespoons powdered sugar (confectioners sugar)
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 teaspoon xanthan gum- If your flour blend already contains xanthan or guar gum then do not add.
1 large egg, beaten (room temperature)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 Tablespoon cream or milk
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract (optional) 
Pre-heat oven to 350°.

Instructions:

1. Mix all the dry ingredients and blend until well combined. Add egg, butter and vanilla and stir until dough is well blended and thick.

2. For the heart cookies: Take large amount of dough and shape and work into dough with your hands and form dough into a ball. Roll out your dough onto parchment paper or wax paper and roll until dough is about 1/3 of an inch thick. Use a cookie cutter cut out dough and place them onto cookie sheet covered with parchment paper leaving about 1 inch between cookies. For the thumbprint cookies: 

3. For the thumbprint cookies: Shape the cookie dough into balls. Mine were about 1 Tablespoon of dough per ball. Make sure they’re nice and smooth. Then, make an indentation with your thumb into each ball. The dough may crack slightly when you press your thumb into it. Simply smooth it out with your hands if you can. Fill with 1/2 teaspoon of jam of your choice.

4. Reform and roll out scrap dough. Cut out more cookies into desired shapes.

5. Bake for about 9-11 minutes until set.  Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet until set then transfer onto a cooling rack, approximately five minutes.

Edges may be slightly golden brown. Once cooled you can then drizzle the glaze on them. Store in an airtight container and enjoy!