Glazed Grain-free Shortbread Cookies

by Angela Gallardo in Desserts, Recipes

1 comment

If you haven’t noticed, cookies are my favorite.

(Cinnamon Raisin, Sugar & Thumbprint, CCC’s, Chewy Molasses,  Pumpkin CCCs, Brownie Crinkle, Cranberry Ginger, see I wasn’t kidding!)

Because…

A. well, I just love cookies.

And…

B. because I’ve gotten really, really good at making them taste just as good as their grain-filled counterparts.

Shortbread is an all-time fave cause the taste of butter shines through and you get both crisp AND soft, which is always a winning cookie combo.

I made these in a lavender & lemon variation (see the notes below for essential oil quantities) because I felt like channeling my inner chocolatier.  Complete with dried lavender and rose petals cause sometimes I’m ridiculous with my baking.

But I also made a test batch with lemon & fresh thyme that was delicious.

Next up will likely omit the lemon zest and add just a bit of cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg.

Try it! Tell me what flavors you try!

Get a printable PDF of the recipe

Grain-free Shortbread Cookies

Yields: 40 small cookies

• 3 c. blanched almond flour
• 1/4 c. arrowroot or tapioca starch
• 1 large lemon, zested (reserve the juice for the glaze)*
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 c. honey
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 6 tbsp. butter, cold & cubed small
• 1 medium egg, whisked (about 45 grams weight)
• Optional ingredients for flavor varieties*

Directions:

1. Add the almond flour, arrowroot starch, lemon zest (if using), sea salt, and baking soda to the bowl of a large food processor.  Process to combine.
2. Add the honey and vanilla extract and process briefly to incorporate the honey.
3. Add the cubed butter and PULSE until the butter is just barely mixed in.  Add the egg and PULSE again until the dough starts to come together and look a bit sticky.
4. Place the dough onto some parchment or saran wrap.  Wrap and flatten into a disc shape.  Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to 350F.  Line a sheet pan with parchment or a silpat mat.
6. Place the dough on a sheet of parchment.  Place another sheet of parchment over top.  Roll the dough out over the parchment to 1/4″ thickness (roll thinner than this for really crispy shortbread or thicker than this for really moist shortbread).
7. Cut to your desired shape.  I used a crimped pastry wheel.  Work quickly to move the dough onto the baking sheet — it should still be fairly cold when the baking begins.
8. Bake for 11-14 minutes or until *very* lightly golden around the edges. (Note: if you start to smell them, they’ve baked too long.)
9. Move to a cooling rack and allow to cool fully before glazing.  They’re best stored at room temperature in a partially sealed container (fully sealing will cause them to get really soft and lose their crispness).

Notes:

• The flavor options for these cookies are pretty wide-ranging.  The ones shown had 6 drops lemon EO and 2 drops lavender EO.
• I also made a batch with lemon and fresh thyme leaves that was wonderful.  For other flavors, you can omit the lemon zest. 
• You could add warm spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg.
• You could grind your favorite teas into the dough during step 1, like earl grey or matcha.
• You can also swap out the vanilla extract for almond extract.
• When adding flavors, just don’t add any additional liquid to the dough.

Lemon Glaze

• 1/4 c. coconut butter
• 1/4 c. honey
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 tbsp. ghee or coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• Pinch of sea salt

Directions:

1. Whisk all the ingredients together in a small saucepan over low heat until just melted.  Glaze immediately.