Christmas Light Shortbread Cookies (gluten free, dairy free and vegan)
My Christmas light cookies are gluten and dairy free (vegan too) and are great fun to make! The cookies have a shortbread base filled with dairy free white chocolate chips and are topped with white icing and decorated with black icing and dairy free multicoloured chocolates to look like Christmas lights. If you do make this recipe I’d love to see, don’t forget to tag me in your photos over on social media.
Frequently asked questions
Which butter do you use for the shortbread?
For this recipe (and the majority of my baking) I use the Stork ‘perfect for baking’ 250g gold packet butter which is naturally dairy free and available in most major UK supermarkets. Note: This is the only Stork butter that doesn’t contain milk so be careful to pick up the right packet.
How long will they last?
These cookies will last in an airtight container for up to 4 days but are always best served on the day you make them.
Which dairy free chocolate chips do you use for the biscuits?
For this recipe I use the Sainsbury’s Free From white chocolate chips however you could use any kind of dairy free chocolate chips (white, milk or dark!) or you could make the shortbread without.
Which dairy free chocolate do you use the ‘Christmas Lights’?
For this recipe I use the Clarana Vegan Colourful Chocolate Beans (which are also gluten free). I usually purchase these from the Vegan Kind Supermarket.
Which black icing do you use?
Any black icing pen will work, you want something with a thin top so you can draw the black lines accurately, click here for the icing pen I use from Amazon.
Christmas Light Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
For the shortbread
- 100 g dairy free butter block *See FAQs
- 55 g caster sugar
- 175 g gluten free plain flour
- 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (Omit if your flour blend already contains this)
- 50 g dairy free white chocolate chips
For the toppings
- 200 g icing sugar
- 1 black icing pen
- Multicoloured chocolates *See FAQs
Instructions
For the shortbread
- In a large bowl beat butter and sugar with an electric whisk until creamy. Sift in the plain flour and xanthan gum. Mix together until it looks like breadcrumbs.
- Add the chocolate chips and mix well. Use your hands to squeeze the mixture together until it forms a ball of dough. Chill in the fridge for half an hour.
- Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to around 1cm thick (don’t worry if the dough falls apart a little, press back together with your fingers). Using a cookie cutter cut rounds out of the dough and place on a baking tray. Chill the cookies in the fridge for 60 minutes before cooking.
- Pre heat the oven to 365°F (180°C). Bake the cookies for around 20 minutes until just golden on the top. Place to one side to cool.
Decorate
- Make the icing by combining icing sugar with boiling water until you get a thick but drizzleable consistency.
- Carefully pipe (or spoon) the icing onto to the top of the cookies (baring in mind the icing will spread!) into a circular shape. Leave to set completely.
- Once set, use the black icing pen to draw 2 lines across the cookies. Press the multicoloured chocolates across the lines to form the Christmas lights. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
I absolutely love seeing what you’ve created, so if you do make this recipe (or any other recipe from my website) don’t forget to tag me over on my social media pages @glutenfreealice and use the hashtag #glutenfreealice
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