Gluten-free Easter Shortbread Cookies
Once again this year I got into the kitchen to make Gluten-free Easter Shortbread Cookies, classic and quick, ideal for gifting.
These cookies smell wonderful, of corn flour and simplicity. I wanted to use a classic shortcrust pastry recipe with eggs and butter but completely gluten-free, with almonds and hazelnuts and brown cane sugar.
For many years I found Easter-shaped cookie cutters at a store that are different from the usual ones; they are not metal but plastic, very handy to use — you can see them in the recipe for simple vegan Easter shortbread cookies
I leave you some other alternative shortbread recipes, then you can cut them with whichever cutters you prefer:
Now let’s get our hands in the dough.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 40 cookies
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup buckwheat flour (about 100 g / 3.5 oz)
- 3/4 cup finely ground cornmeal (fioretto) (about 100 g / 3.5 oz)
- 1/3 cup cornstarch (about 50 g / 1.75 oz)
- 3 oz almonds (and hazelnuts)
- 2 eggs (organic)
- 1 pinch unrefined sea salt
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
- 6 tbsp butter (about 80 g / 3 oz)
- 1/3 cup powdered brown cane sugar (about 70 g / 2.5 oz)
Tools
- 12 Stampini
Preparation
In a bowl sift together the cornmeal with the buckwheat flour, the cornstarch, a pinch of salt and the leavening agent.
Add the almonds and hazelnuts ground to a flour, the brown cane sugar and the softened butter.
Work with your fingers until you obtain a sandy mixture, then add the eggs and mix; form a smooth disk or the usual shortcrust ball and refrigerate for about half an hour to firm up.
Take the dough out and roll it between two sheets of parchment paper and cut the cookies into the shapes you prefer.
Bake them in the oven at 356°F (180°C) for 12–15 minutes until golden. They keep very well in tin boxes.
Do you smell that aroma?
Daniela’s Tips
They keep very well in tin boxes.
You can also dip them halfway in dark chocolate, sprinkle them with sugar sprinkles, or decorate them with icing.
Can I prepare the dough in advance?
Certainly. Raw shortcrust pastry can rest in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours wrapped in plastic, or it can be frozen (already rolled out or in a disk) for about 2 months.
How long do they keep and how?
Shortbread cookies are very resilient. They keep perfectly for 7–10 days if stored in a tin box or in an airtight glass container, away from humidity.
How can I personalize this simple base?
You can flavor it with lemon or orange zest, vanilla seeds, or add a pinch of cinnamon or cocoa to the base dough.
Can they be dunked in milk or tea?
Absolutely yes!
The cookies lost their shape during baking, what happened?
Probably the butter warmed up too much before baking. A foolproof trick is to put the already-cut cookies back in the fridge for 15 minutes before baking: the temperature shock will help keep the edges defined.
