Gluten-free pecan cookies recipe

Gorgeously gluten-free pecan cookies each topped with a nut.

If you're new to gluten-free baking, cookies are a great place to start. In bread or cake baking, gluten is the protein in flour that makes the dough stretchy. It helps bakes rise so you get a lovely airy, lightness. But with biscuits you don't need the dough to rise - it bakes pretty much at the height you shape it it. That means using gluten-free flour in baking doesn't affect the finished result much, so it's easy to do. Dove's Farm is a good brand to use, they produce several gluten-free flour options including brown rice, oat, teff and coconut. They also do a free-from baking powder. In fact, most baking powders are gluten-free but it's always worth checking the label.

Ingredients

• 100g butter, softened
• 75g light muscovado sugar
• 1 egg
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 200g gluten-free flour
• 1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 75g pecan nuts, finely chopped plus 16 pecan halves

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/Gas Mark 5 and line 2 baking sheets with baking paper. Using an electric mixer or wooden spoon, beat the butter and sugar together until soft and creamy.  
2. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the chopped pecans and mix to form a firm dough.
3. Roll the dough into 16 even-sized balls and place on the baking sheets allowing space between each one for them to spread. Flatten slightly with the back of a fork and place a pecan half on the top of each one. Bake for 15 mins until golden.
4. Leave on the baking sheets for 5 mins before transferring to a wire rack to cool. As they cool the cookies will become firm and crisp. Store in an airtight container.

Top tip for making gluten-free pecan cookies

Gluten-free flour sometimes absorbs more liquid than ordinary flour, so if the mixture is too crumbly to form a dough add a little milk or water and mix until the dough comes together in a ball.

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