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(no nuts; no wheat; no egg; can be non-dairy)
These wheat-free cookies are not such a great leap from the classic shortbread recipe, which is often made with part rice flour. They’re just a bit more delicate, but melt-in-the-mouth delicious.
1 cup rice flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup icing sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup plain or coloured coarse decorating sugar
In a large bowl with an electric mixer, or in the bowl of a food processor, combine all the ingredients. Beat (or process) until smooth, then refrigerate dough for at least one hour (or until firm enough to handle).
Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Prepare a baking sheet or two (no need to grease them, but you may want to line with parchment paper).
Pour the coarse sugar into a flat bowl or pie plate. By hand, form the dough into 1 in. (2 cm) balls, rolling until smooth, then roll each ball in the coarse sugar to coat. Place on the prepared baking sheet, about 1½ in. (4 cm) apart. Flatten each ball slightly with the bottom of a glass (to about half its original thickness). Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the bottoms are very lightly browned. Transfer to a rack to cool. These cookies are very crumbly and tender, so don't throw them around, kids.
Non-dairy option: You can make these with non-dairy margarine if you wish to avoid dairy ingredients, but because the cookies depend so much on butter for their flavour, the substitution will be more noticeable here than in other recipes
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