There’s something truly special about cooking for those who appreciate it instantly. I thoroughly enjoy preparing meals and baking for my friends and family, especially those who share a passion for savoring every bite.

Last night, while organizing invoices and labels for my organic skincare company, B’Tyli Natural Skin Therapies, I felt the Christmas spirit take over. Amidst the tasks, I decided to surprise one of my foodie friends with a batch of Christmas cookies. Our constant conversations on Facebook about food and our shared love for posting culinary delights across social media inspired me.

The result? Gluten-Free Christmas Star cookies that carry the essence of the season without compromising on taste. They’re so good; you’d never guess they’re gluten-free. I hope you’ll enjoy sharing these with those dear to you as much as I do. Here’s to always setting the table with love. 🙂Christmas Star Cookies

The flour blend below is a great gluten-free blend for baking cookies and pie crusts.

Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 cups white rice flour

• 2/3 cup potato starch

• 1/3 cup tapioca flour

• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum

• 1 cup organic cane sugar

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

• 2 cage-free egg yolks

• 1 tablespoon gluten-free vanilla extract

• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, thoroughly whisk together the rice flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, and xanthan gum. Set aside 2-1/4 cups of this flour mixture for rolling out the cookie dough, using the remaining for dusting the counter later.

2. Using a fork, blend sugar and softened butter in a bowl until smooth, occasionally scraping down the bowl’s sides with a spatula.

3. Add egg yolks and vanilla to the sugar-butter mixture, mixing until smooth and scraping the bowl’s sides occasionally.

4. Stir salt into the reserved flour blend and gradually add it to the sugar mixture, ensuring thorough incorporation. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour.

5. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

6. Lightly dust the counter with the remaining gluten-free flour mixture. Place the chilled dough onto the counter and roll it out to about 1/4-inch thickness.

7. Using 2 to 3-inch cookie cutters, cut the dough into desired shapes and place them on the prepared baking sheets.

8. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes or until the edges turn golden. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to wire racks for further cooling. Optionally, dust each cookie with powdered sugar using a sifter.