Gluten-free shortbread

[drinkingchef]

Does anybody have a good recipe for gluten free shortbread. My aunt has asked me to make some for christmas, she and her son both have gluten allergies.

She has made a few attempts with a mix of flours she uses, but it never produces that melt in your mouth quality that she is craving.

One problem was with rice flour being in the mix, it was very grainy. So that option is definately out. Trials with an alternative grain mix was very heavy, and the texture of the grains just wasn't right

I am planning to experiment with different perportions of corn starch, arrowroot, tapioca, and I've even thought about chickpea flour.

If anybody has a recipe that they know works, please pass it on, it would save alot of trial and error on my part.

[vinelady]

I don't have any help for you. But if you do suceed please post it. I have a number of friends that eat GF and would love to have short bread.

[bripastryguy]

I am in the process of setting up a complete gluten free line. I will ask my R&D person for a shortbread recipe for you. Her stuff has been exceptional so far., I will also be seting up an e-commerce site to do mail order.

[drinkingchef]

I am in the process of setting up a complete gluten free line. I will ask my R&D person for a shortbread recipe for you. Her stuff has been exceptional so far., I will also be seting up an e-commerce site to do mail order.

Thanks, I would REALLY appreciate that. In exchange, I will get my Aunt's gingersnap recipe for you. She has made it for a few years and I only recently realized that it was gluten free. They are great cookies.

[SMW]

Not exactly shortbread, but melt in your mouth goodness are these Brazilian corn starch cookies:

Biscoitos De Maizena (Sugar Cookies) Gluten Free

Ingredients:

2 cup cornstarch

1 cup sugar

1 x egg

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 stk of unsalted butter (that equals 12 tablespoons)

Preheat oven to 375 F. Sift cornstarch, sugar and salt together, mix the egg and blend in the butter. Knead well. Let stand ten to fifteen minutes. You can either form these into balls, or roll them out and cut them shortbread style.

Also, if the rice flour you are using seems too gritty, you may want to try to get some at an Asian market. It is ground much more finely and produces superior baked goods with less grittiness.

If you wouldn't mind sharing, I would also love the gingersnap recipe, that's one of my husband's (who is GF) favorite cookies.

[sugarbuzz]

Have you tried finding an all cornstarch recipe & maybe substituting 1/4 -1/2 of the cornstarch with light buckwheat flour? Maybe add some orange zest to it. Buckwheat & orange go so well together.

[miladyinsanity]

Try frying the rice flour--there's a traditional Nonya, melt-in-your-mouth cookie that does this, but my mom doesn't know why. I'm guessing it's to dry the flour out a bit more, in which case I think you could do it in the oven.

[avocado]

If gluten-free eating is interesting or necessary for you, you should read this blog: Gluten-Free Girl. She has some beautiful recipes and is really passionate about her lifestyle. My guess is she'd be willing to help you out if you e-mailed her.

[miladyinsanity]

Have you tried a flour mix of one part each rice flour, corn starch and tapioca starch?

[drinkingchef]

Thanks everyone for the recipes and recommendations. I will be trying them out next week, and I'll post my results and all the recipes that have worked out for me. In the meantime, keep the suggestions coming and I'll do plenty of experimenting. This will be so fun, I love experimenting

[katbalou]

try this for basic white flour:

6 cups white rice flour

2 cups potato starch

1 cup tapioca flour

i also add 1 cup brown rice flour to the mix to give it a little more color when the item is baked.also i've found direct conversion by cup measurement in reg. wheat flour recipes doesn't work, as soon as i feel better i will be getting a scale to do weight measurements instead. you could add xanthan gum also - app. 1 teaspoon to 1 cup of flour. tried some of the flours made with bean and they definitely did not appeal to me - very strong taste!

i just found out that my son and i are intolerant to wheat, also. here's some interesting links

www.celiac.com

www.gluten.net

google wheat free, celiac spru or gluten intolerance for more.

hope this helps

kat

[tejon]

Another great resource is the whole "Gluten Free Gourmet" series of cookbooks. I have a friend with celiac sprue who swears by them, and I have to say that most of the things he has baked from that set of recipes has been delicious. I remember a shortbread recipe that was a little on the crumbly side, but still delicious.

[SMW]

Not exactly shortbread, but melt in your mouth goodness are these Brazilian corn starch cookies:

Biscoitos De Maizena (Sugar Cookies) Gluten Free

Ingredients:

          2    cup  cornstarch

          1    cup  sugar

          1      x  egg

        1/2    tsp  salt

      1 1/2    stk  of unsalted butter (that equals 12 tablespoons)

Preheat oven to 375 F. Sift cornstarch, sugar and salt together, mix the egg and blend in the butter. Knead well. Let stand ten to fifteen minutes. (I always let them stand in the refrigerator)  You can either form these into balls, or roll them out and cut them shortbread style.

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I edited the above recipe in response to feedback from someone who tried the recipe. In order to ensure that the cookies do not spread out too much, it seems likely that it helps to refrigerate the dough while it is standing. This was not part of the original recipe, but is something that I have always done. I have never done the direct comparison, however, so I am not sure that this explains the difference in results. In any case, I almost automatically put GF cookie dough into the frig before baking, I think it really helps ensure the cookies hold together well, particularly if they have butter and not shortening.

Edited January 13, 2006 by SMW (log)