{Gluten and Dairy Free} Vegan Sugar Cookies and Vanilla Frosting

This is the perfect time of year for sugar cookies!  This is our favorite way to make them. :)

Shortbread Sugar Cookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Bake Time: 10-12 Minutes

Makes 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

1 and 1/2 cups brown rice flour

1/2 cup potato starch (not flour!)

1 cup tapioca starch

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup  Earth's Balance (softened)

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

*Chia eggs (2 TBS ground chia and  6 TBS water mixed together. see note below*!) or 2 regular eggs or 2 eggs worth of Ener-G egg replacer or 6 TBS applesauce 

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp guar gum or xanthan gum

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F.

Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.

In another bowl,  mix the Earth's Balance and the sugar together.

Stir the vanilla and eggs (or chia eggs) into the wet mixture.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until combined. It may look dry initially, but keep stirring until it is a dough consistency. If necessary use your hands and knead it together.

Wrap the dough in saran wrap and put it in the fridge for at least 20 minutes. You can do it at room temperature, but will make the dough a little more firm (depending on your preference).

Sprinkle brown rice flour on parchment paper. Roll the dough out on the parchment paper to about a 1/4" thickness.  Cut into shapes. Place the cookie shapes onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Sprinkle with dyed sugar, chocolate chips, or wait to frost them later.

Bake for about 10 minutes or until firm to the touch (will not be golden, but firm when done)

Let cookies completely cool before removing them from the baking sheet.

Frost and decorate as desired. 

Vanilla frosting

Ingredients

3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup palm shortening or Earth's Balance (softened)

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

3 tablespoons milk or milk substitute

Put the above ingredients in a bowl. Whip with a mixer until well blended. If it's too runny for your taste add a little powdered sugar. If it's too thick for your taste, add a little more milk substitute. 

*Note: With the chia eggs it's important to mix it and then wait a little bit, mix it again and then wait a little bit until it is a gel like mixture.