Hot Chocolate Shortbread Cookies - Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free suggestions

We made these for a playdate and I thought I would share the recipe. 


Hot Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
Adapted from Hot Chocolate Shortbread: Parents Magazine, March 2010

2 cups all purpose flour or King Arthur Gluten Free Multi-purpose Flour
1/3 cup instant hot chocolate powder or cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. salt
12 Tbsp. butter, softened at room temp or Earth Balance shortening sticks (non-dairy option)
1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar (use honey or maple syrup for a less refined option)
1 egg at room temperature
Pamela's Gluten-Free Vanilla Frosting Mix & frosting bag and tip or a ziploc with a corner cut to squeeze out the frosting (you will need an extra 2-4 tbsp butter or Earth Balance Shortening Sticks and 2 Tbsp vanilla almond milk)


1. Preheat oven to 350. 


2. Line a 9 X 13 baking pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray or line with a Silpat silcone mat. 


3. In a medium bowl combine the flour, salt and hot chocolate powder or cocoa powder. 


4. In in mixer with a paddle attachment (or a handheld mixer) cream together butter and sugar and beat on high until fluffy (about 3 minutes). 


5. Add egg and then flour mixture slowly until combined. 


6. Using an icing knife or something flat spread the mixture on the baking pan so that it is even and thick enough for a cookie. Rinse the knife with water in between spreading the mixture to keep the mixture from sticking to the knife. 


7. Bake for 30 minutes and watch to make sure they don't burn. Transfer to a cutting board and slice into 3/4" pieces and then cool before adding frosting. 


8. Top with frosting dots and let dry before storing. 


Serve with a cold glass of vanilla almond milk. We lucked out and grabbed some hydroponically grown strawberries (the last ones picked before the freezing weather) from Markley Farm at the farmers' market.