What Am I Doing Wrong? My Cookies Break When I Try To Ice

Baking By nelikate Updated 20 Feb 2011 , 3:18am by nelikate

nelikate Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
nelikate Posted 20 Feb 2011 , 2:28am
post #1 of 3

Hi all

I need help as I dont know what I'm doing wrong and I would really love to start baking and icing cookies again.

I had a fantastic cookie recipe - something like a shortbread that I could ice with no problems and few breakages. However I am now gluten free and when I converted the recipe - using GF flour instead of normal it just doesnt turn out right.

The dough is soft, really soft and sticky - I refrigerate but it doesnt firm up like normal dough. Then once baked they fall apart, crumble and break. I can ice about 1 in 5.

When I eat the cookie it explodes in my mouth like dust, it is really dry.

I dont know what to change when the uncooked dough is soft and doesnt firm but the baked cookie is dry and crumbles too easily.

I would appreciate any suggestions, or tips you might have.

Here is the recipe I used:

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups (225g) plain flour
3/4 cup (85g) almond meal
1/3 cup (60g) icing sugar mixture
125g chilled butter, chopped
1 egg
1 tbs milk

Method
Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 2 oven trays with baking paper. Place the flour, almond meal, icing sugar and
butter in the bowl of a food processor and process until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
1.
Add the egg and milk and process until just combined. Gently knead until mixture just comes together. Shape
into a disc and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.
2.
Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to a 3mm-thick disc. Use a 7cm-diameter heart-shaped pastry
cutter to cut out 32 shapes from the pastry. Place on the lined trays. Use a 4cm-diameter heartshaped pastry
cutter to cut out shapes from half the hearts. Place on the lined trays. Bake in preheated oven, swapping
trays halfway though cooking, for 8-10 minutes or until light golden. Remove from oven and set aside on trays
to cool.

thanks
Nel

2 replies
catherinejanuary Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
catherinejanuary Posted 20 Feb 2011 , 2:52am
post #2 of 3

I would try a different recipe-- find a sugar cookie recipe specifically tailored to be GF and for GF flours, because the lack of gluten is your problem here. You don't THINK about developing gluten for sugar cookies, but it does hold them together. I've made GF baked things before and know you are going to have a hard time making a cohesive cookie along the lines of regular SC recipes, especially with almond meal. Ixnaying the almond meal would be my suggestion. Any cookie with almond meal is just going to be even more crumbly. Try a nice GF flour blend, like KAF's (it tastes good!), and a recipe like this:

http://www.glutenfreecookingschool.com/archives/gluten-free-sugar-cookies/

nelikate Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
nelikate Posted 20 Feb 2011 , 3:18am
post #3 of 3

Thanks Catherine.

Quote by @%username% on %date%

%body%