You haven’t completed your Christmas baking duties if you have not yet created a plate of sugar cookies for Santa – right? We’ve indulged Santa with glutinous cookies in past years, but this year we’re going to convert him. Karen Morgan, of Blackbird Bakery Gluten-Free, provides a dough worthy of our beloved snowflake and angel cookie cutters. I’ve already made three batches of these this week – and I’m hoping some of them last through Christmas eve so we’ll actually have something to put on Santa’s cookie plate!

Leo’s Classic Sugar Cookies

(from Blackbird Bakery Gluten-Free, by Karen Morgan. The cookies are named after her son, in case you were wondering who Leo is…)

1/4 C sorghum flour

3/4 C brown rice flour (her recipe just calls for rice flour – I prefer brown)

1/4 C tapioca flour, plus more for dusting

1/4 C cornstarch

1 C sugar

2 tsp unflavored gelatin

2 tsp guar gum

1/4 tsp kosher salt

3 Tbsp nonhydrogenated vegetable shortening (I use Spectrum)

4 Tbsp Earth Balance buttery spread (she calls for unsalted butter – but we don’t do dairy, remember?) at room temp

2 large egg whites (I tried it this way for the class batch – but for our family batches, I substitute with ground flax meal – 1 Tbsp mixed with 3 Tbsp water = 1 egg)

1 1/2 tsp pure almond extract (I just used 2 tsp vanilla, since Leif is allergic to almonds)

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

(Her recipe calls for royal icing, but we prefer sugar sprinkles added before baking… do what suits your family best!)

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine all the dry ingredients and mix on low speed to blend.

Add the shortening and buttery spread and mix on low speed for about 5 minutes, or until blended. Add the egg whites/substitute, extract(s), and mix on medium-high speed until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and forms a nice ball.

Empty the dough onto a work surface dusted with tapioca flour. If the dough appears sticky, sprinkle the top with some additional tapioca flour and knead until smooth. Shape the dough into two disks. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or preferably overnight. (Or do as I do, and leave it in the fridge for a couple days until you need a fresh batch of cookies… it keeps just fine!)

Position an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Let one disk sit at room temperature for 10 minutes to soften slightly. Lightly dust a work surface with rice flour and roll out the dough, rotating and turning it to keep it from sticking. Roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/4″ – any thinner and the cookies will not hold their shape.

Using cookie cutters, cut out the cookies and transfer them to prepared pans. Dust with sugar sprinkles. Bake one pan at a time for about 7 minutes, or until the edges begin to color. Remove from oven and allow to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cook completely.

Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week (but you’ll likely eat them sooner anyhow – so don’t even worry about that).