As I did Christmas baking with a newborn baby in the house, I found I couldn't always (or ever!) finish what I started, so I made a lot more refrigerator cookies than I had ever made before. I loved that I could mix the batter and put it in the fridge until the baby fell asleep, but I also discovered that refrigerator cookie recipes adapt very well to gluten-free flours.
These lemon-lime cookies were the biggest hit of the Christmas season in our gluten-free family. This recipe is adapted for gluten-free flours from a recipe originally published in Canadian Living, a fantastic source of reliable recipes.
1 cup softened butter
1 cup white sugar
1 large egg
1 tbsp finely grated lemon rind
2 tsp finely grated lime rind
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup amaranth flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 oz finely chopped white chocolate
1 egg white
1/2 cup ground almonds
GLAZE:
1 cup GF icing sugar
3 tbsp whipping cream
1 tbsp softened butter
1 tsp finely grated lemon rind
1/2 tsp grated lime rind
In a large bowl, very lightly cream the butter with sugar. Beat in egg, lemon rind, and lime rind. In a smaller bowl, whisk flours, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt. Stir into butter mixture. Fold in white chocolate.
In a separate small bowl, beat egg white until foamy. Sprinkle almond meal on waxed paper. Set both aside.
Divide dough into four parts. Place one at a time on a large piece of waxed paper. Using paper as a guide, roll and press firmly into a 6” long log. Remove paper. Brush with egg white and roll in about 1/4 of the almond meal. Wrap the log in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about three hours, rerolling as logs harden to keep round shape.
With serrated knife, cut into generous 1/4” thick slices. Place about 2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined pans. Bake at 375F until bottoms are light golden, about 10 minutes. These cookies burn easily, so watch them carefully and help keep the heat consistent. I found it best to cook just one pan at a time in my oven.
GLAZE: Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix the icing sugar, cream, butter, and lemon and lime rinds until smooth. Spread over hot cookies. Transfer to racks to let cool.
Makes 60 cookies.
