Well, Christmas is really just an excuse for me to eat cookies. It’s yours, too, right? And decorating cookies is one of my favorite things to do this time of year. I don’t always get the spare time to set aside for this project and, yes, to decorate like this is a bit of a project.

But I promised myself this year I would make my favorite mittens and hats. They make me so happy to look at on a cookie platter!

For those of you who don’t know, when I moved back from Cincinnati I had just gotten out of a relationship with someone I thought I was going to marry at the young age of 22. Devastated, I quit my full time job, went back to work at Williams-Sonoma and became completely engrossed in teaching myself how to professionally decorate cakes and cookies. I started to market and sell said bakery items to clients and at the time, Drizzle Bakery was born. Since then it has obviously morphed into something completely different but that’s the birth of the name “Drizzle!”

Even though I don’t do that professionally anymore I still love to decorate and surprise people with happy little baked treats. And if you want to do the same here are some recipes for you below! I have included a simply gluten free sugar cookie recipe and also how to make it allergy friendly. I also have included the royal icing I use for my cookies and a recipe for allergy adaptable royal icing from another blogger who uses one of my favorite things, aquafaba!

So I hope you make some sugar cookies this year and that it fills your heart with as much giggly happiness as it does mine. Whether you decorated them in fancy ways or simply spread some frosting and sprinkles on top I know it’ll make your holiday a little jollier!

**side note-Drizzle Kitchen Members got a live tutorial on how to decorate, how to make these frosted cookies and I answered all their cookie questions. If you want to join me for special classes and access to the special members recipes on my site along with weekly emails with dinner menus, recipe ideas and first access to new events and books head over to the membership tab and sign up!

Stay Safe out there, Drizzlers!

xo, Kendra

Sugar Cookies

Allergy Adaptable to be Free From Top-9 Food Allergens

• 1 c. granulated sugar
• 1/2 c. softened butter or 1/3 c. + 1 Tbs. softened vegan margarine
• 1 egg or egg replacer of choice or 3 Tbs. aquafaba
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 Tbs. milk or vegan milk
• 2 cups Gluten Free Flour Blend (including xanthan or guar gum. If not included please add either 1/2 tsp. xanthan or 1 tsp. guar)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• Optional: you can add 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg for some extra spice!

Directions

1. Cream together the sugar and softened butter/vegan margarine until light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes using a stand mixer or hand mixer.
2. Add the egg/egg replacer, vanilla extract and the 1 Tbs. milk/vegan milk and mix together, scraping down with spatula.
3. Sprinkle in the gluten free flour and salt and mix until well blended.
4. Divide dough in half and scoop onto a piece of plastic wrap, press into a disk and cover with the wrap. Refrigerate at least 2-3 hours before rolling out.
5. Roll out on floured surface, turning your disk every 3-4 rolls to prevent from sticking. Press out with cutters and bake at 350 for 7-10 minutes depending on the size of your cutouts.

*tip-bake the same shape cutout one tray at a time. This prevents different size cookies from being finished at different times on the same sheet!

Royal Icing

Free From Top-8 Food Allergens. INCLUDES EGGS.

Allergy Friendly Recipe below.

• 4 c. powdered sugar, sifted
• 3 Tbs. meringue powder (any craft store or Amazon will sell this)
• 5-6 Tbs. water

Directions

1. Add the sifted powered sugar, meringue powder and the water to a bowl of a stand mixer. Turn onto low and with the whisk attachment whip gently for 7 minutes.
2. If you need stiff icing (for piping or lining the outside of the cookie), pull up the whisk attachment and it should barely fall down from the tip of the attachment. It should stay where it falls, without melting in.
3. If you need looser icing for flooding, add water 1 Tbs. at a time until when it drizzles it holds its shape for about 3-4 seconds until it melts in.

Allergy Friendly Royal Icing

Free From Top-9 Food Allergens

Recipe from nmmeiyee.com

• 2 Tbs. aquafaba (liquid from a can of beans)
• 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 -2 c. powdered sugar, sifted
• 3-4 Tbsp. water

Directions

1. Add the aquafaba, cream of tartar, vanilla extract, powdered sugar and water to a bowl of a stand mixer. Turn onto low and with the whisk attachment whip gently for 7 minutes.
2. If you need stiff icing (for piping or lining the outside of the cookie), pull up the whisk attachment and it should barely fall down from the tip of the attachment. It should stay where it falls, without melting in.
3. If you need looser icing for flooding, add water 1 tsp. at a time until when it drizzles it holds its shape for about 3-4 seconds until it melts in.

Happy Foods are the Best Foods!