Baking
Gluten-Free Shortbread
Rice flour gives these buttery biscuits their characteristic short, sandy texture, while a gluten-free plain flour blend stops them from becoming too fragile. A short chill helps the pattern stay neat in the oven.
Ingredients
- 180 g unsalted butter, softened
- 90 g icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 180 g gluten-free plain flour blend containing xanthan gum
- 70 g fine rice flour
- A pinch of fine salt
Method
Beat the butter and icing sugar until smooth and creamy, but not overly fluffy. Mix in the vanilla.
Add both flours and the salt. Mix on low speed, then bring the dough together gently with your hands. Shape it into a log about 5 cm wide, wrap, and chill for 45 minutes.
Heat the oven to 170°C/150°C fan and line two baking trays. Cut the log into 8 mm rounds and arrange them with room to spread. Press lightly with a fork if you like.
Bake for 16 to 20 minutes, until pale gold at the edges. Leave the biscuits on the tray for 10 minutes before carefully transferring them to a rack.
Storage
Once cool, the shortbread keeps in an airtight tin for a week. Check that the flour blend and rice flour are labelled gluten-free when required.