Low FODMAP Shortbread
Low FODMAP Shortbread cookies are gluten-free, buttery yet lactose-free, easy to make, and they are delicious plain as well as embellished.
Low FODMAP Serving Size Info: Makes 36, approximately 2-inch cookies or 16 large wedges (see Tips); serving size 1 wedge or 2 small rounds
Ingredients:
Shortbread:
- 1 cup (158 g) white rice flour, such as Arrowhead Mills
- ½ cup (72 g) sweet rice flour, such as Authentic Foods Sweet Rice Flour
- ½ cup (69 g) sifted cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder; use gluten-free if following a gluten-free diet
- ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1/2 cup plus 6 tablespoons (1 stick plus 6 tablespoons; 198 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces
- ¾ cup (149 g) sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Embellishments – All optional:
- Raw sugar
- Melted chocolate
- Toffee bits
- Coconut flakes
- Powdered food color & vodka
Preparation:
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Position racks in upper and lower third of oven. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two half-sheet pans with parchment paper; set aside.
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For the Shortbread: Whisk together the rice flours, cornstarch, salt, baking powder and xanthan gum to aerate and combine; set aside. Line two half-sheet baking pans with parchment.
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Cream butter with an electric mixer until soft and creamy, then add sugar and continue beating until lightened in color and texture. Beat in vanilla. Add dry mixture in a few batches, beating in until dough comes together intro a smooth mass. It should come away from the sides of the bowl.
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Lightly flour a large piece of parchment paper and roll out the dough to a ¼-inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutter of your choice; I recommend a 2-inch (5 cm) round, which will provide the yield described above and the baking times will work. Larger or smaller cookies will alter baking time, yield and potentially the low FODMAP serving size. Transfer cookies to prepared pans evenly spaced apart. They don’t really spread but spacing them out will help them bake evenly. If you would like to add some raw sugar to the tops, do so now.
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Bake for about 8 to 12 minutes, depending on how well-done you like your shortbread and the size of your cookies. At the very least they need to be just taking on color on the bottom and feel dry. They should lift up with a spatula. I like to bake them until they are uniformly light golden. Cool on pans on racks. Store shortbread at room temperature in airtight containers for up to 5 days.
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Any embellishments can be applied after they are cool. They can be dipped, or partially dipped, in melted chocolate. The chocolate can be drizzled on top. Dry toppings such as the toffee bits and coconut will stick to the chocolate; sprinkle on while chocolate is still wet. To apply the powdered food color (I used gold) simply dissolve some in vodka and use an artist’s brush to paint on. Allow toppings to dry before storing. Chocolate dipped should be refrigerated or served the day of.
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Position racks in upper and lower third of oven. Preheat oven to Line two half-sheet pans with parchment paper; set aside.
Notes:
Tips
Wedge Shaped Shortbread: Divide dough in half and roll out to rounds to ¼-inch thickness. They will be about 8-inches (20 cm) across (approximately). I like these sprinkled with raw sugar. Cut into 8 wedges going all the way through the dough but leave the round intact. Bake until golden brown but about two-thirds of the way through, remove pan(s) from oven and cut all the way through the scoring, then return to oven. Cool on pan(s), then cut and separate wedges. Store as described above.
FODMAP Information
Our recipes are based on Monash University and FODMAP Friendly science.
- Sugar: Monash University and FODMAP Friendly have both lab tested white, granulated sugar. Monash states that a Green Light low FODMAP serving size of white sugar is 1/4 cup (50 g). FODMAP Friendly simply states that they have tested 1 tablespoon and that it is low FODMAP. Regular granulated white sugar is sucrose, which is a disaccharide made up of equal parts glucose and fructose. Sucrose is broken down and absorbed efficiently in the small intestine.
Please always refer to the Monash University & FODMAP Friendly smartphone apps for the most up-to-date lab tested information. As always, your tolerance is what counts; please eat accordingly. The ultimate goal of the low FODMAP diet is to eat as broadly as possible, without triggering symptoms, for the healthiest microbiome.