Gluten Free Almond Shortbread with White Chocolate
These perfectly-simple almond-flavored shortbread cookies are buttery and rich, topped with a drizzle of white chocolate
Servings: 24 cookies
Calories: 200kcal
Equipment
- Two cookie sheets
- Parchment paper
- Plastic wrap
- Electric mixer
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Cups salted butter room temperature
- 3/4 Cup white sugar
- 1/4 Cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp almond extract
- 3/4 Cup arrowroot starch
- 2 1/2 Cups gluten free 1-1 flour mix with xanthan gum added (if it doesn't have xanthan gum, add 1 teaspoon xanthan gum)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 Cup good quality white chocolate optional - the cookies are great plain too!
Instructions
- First, make your shortbread! This will need to chill before baking. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter for 2-3 minutes by itself until it's lighter. Add in the white sugar and continue to beat on medium high speed for 2-3 minutes until fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar and beat until smooth, then add the vanilla, almond extract (affiliate link), salt, and arrowroot starch and continue to beat until fully combined and smooth. Then, slowly beat in the flour, 1/2 cup at a time - it will get very stiff so you may have to stop using the electric mixer and start molding it together by hand or with a wooden spoon. You want it to be a ball of dough – not runny or wet. If it doesn't seem dry enough, add a bit more flour.
- Then, separate the dough into two equal chunks, and pat/form them into logs. I place each chunk on a large sheet of plastic wrap and roll/form them into square logs, then wrap tightly with the plastic wrap and place in the fridge to firm up/chill for at least about 45 minutes (you can leave them in overnight as well - if you leave it in for longer than 45 minutes, you'll need to let it sit at room temperature for 10 or so minutes to soften a bit).
- Once the logs are chilled, preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit and lightly grease two cookie sheets. Line the sheets with parchment paper and grease again with butter or cooking spray, then set aside. Remove logs from the fridge and unwrap, then carefully sliced 1cm/1/3 inch sections to create your shortbread cookies, placing them about an inch and a half apart on your prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 14-17 minutes or until dry and firm to the touch (I bake for exactly 14 minutes). Let cool completely before topping with white chocolate or eating - they're great on their own too!
- If you want to add a bit of white chocolate, let cookies cool, then melt the white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl for 1 minute and stir until smooth, then drizzle over cookies and pop in the freezer for a few minutes to harden the chocolate before serving/eating!