Butterless (cut-out) Butter Cookies

Wheat-free | Sugar-free | Dairy-free | Vegan 

Makes 20-40 cookies

Why it’s delicious

As a lover of all things cookie related, it has pained me some that I have not been able to make and eat any cut out cookies since starting on my healthy journey, as I’ve always loved to make cute shapes for family and friends. 

Traditionally, cut out cookies have butter, sugar and white flour as the base, but I’m happy to announce that these cookies are free from wheat flour, refined sugar and dairy. They are vegan friendly and thanks to some clever fibre syrup, they also retain that wonderful crunch that we all expect when munching down on a cookie. 

Helpful hints and tips

I use my Sweet As Fibre Syrup as a refined sugar substitute in this recipe due to its natural sweetness. My fibre syrup is a low-calorie prebiotic fibre made from 100% pure chicory. Feel free to use your own fibre syrup, but read the labels. Many companies lace their syrups with malt extract and stevia to make them sweeter. If your fibre syrup isn't golden, it probably isn't 100% pure. Click here if you would like to purchase my Sweet As Fibre Syrup.    

For the cashew butter, I make my own by adding raw cashews to a small food processor and blending until the cashews turn to a nut butter. You could also purchase cashew butter from the health food store. 

Ingredients

• 180 g (6.3 oz) brown rice flour, fine
• 100 g (3.5 oz) cashew butter
• 40 g (1.4 oz) Sweet As Fibre Syrup
• Pinch salt
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Method

1. Preheat your oven on bake at 170C ( 340F) 
2. Place all the ingredients for the cookies into a food processor and process until a ball forms. This should take between 10-30 seconds. 
3. If after this time the dough is still crumbly, add a little more syrup until a soft but pliable dough forms. If the dough is too sticky, add a little more rice flour and process until the dough is soft and pliable but not sticky. 
4. Fashion the dough into 2 discs
5. Lay a large piece of baking paper, big enough to cover your baking sheet, on to a bench and place one of the dough discs on to the paper. Cover the disc with another piece of baking paper the same size as the bottom one. 
6. Using a rolling pin,  evenly roll out the dough until it is 2-3 mm (⅛ inch) thick. Remove the top paper and using your favourite cutter, cut out your cookies. 
7. I like to leave the cookies on the paper, removing the off cuts only. Using the off cuts, reroll them and cut out until all the dough is used up. 
8. Carefully pick up the whole piece of paper with the cut outs and lay it on to your baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 9-11 minutes, keeping a close eye on the cookies to make sure they cook evenly. You may want to turn the tray halfway through the cooking time to ensure even baking. 
9. Remove the tray from the oven and allow the cookies to cool for a couple of minutes on the tray before removing to cool completely on a wire rack. 
10. Using the second disc of dough, repeat the rolling, cutting and baking process. 
11. When the cookies are completely cooled, store in an airtight container for 2-3 days.