Gluten-Free Vegan Thumbprint Cookies - Rhian's Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Why are my thumbprint cookies cracking when putting thumbprint? ›

One of the biggest questions that people ask after making thumbprint cookies is, “Why did my cookies crack?” Cracking usually happens when making the indentations in the dough balls. There are a few things you can do to help avoid this: Make sure you haven't added too much flour to the dough.

If your butter is under mixed, it won't have the air pockets to hold it's shape. If it's over-mixed, the air pockets decrease in size and are unable to hold their shape in the oven—causing your cookies to spread. It's best to cream butter and sugar on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes.

The dough should be chilled for at least 30 minutes, so that you can shape it into balls and indent without falling apart. Check that your oven temperature isn't too high.

You need a binding agent in your gluten-free cookies recipe; otherwise, your cookies will fall apart. Some flour blends may already contain a binding agent, so double-check the list of ingredients. If it doesn't, you can add flaxseeds, xanthan gum, or guar gum.

Store the cooled thumbprint cookies in an airtight container at room temperature on the counter. You don't have to refrigerate the cookies. I don't recommend stacking the cookies because of the jam. These cookies will stay fresh for up to 5 days.

Issues with cracking usually derive from the sugar coating, not enough or expired baking powder or baking soda, or the oven temperature isn't hot enough. Solution: Granulated sugar is more effective at drying the surface than powdered sugar.

Butter keeps cookies fluffy in two ways. First, creaming cold butter with sugar creates tiny, uniform air pockets that will remain in the dough it bakes up. Second, cold butter naturally takes a longer time to melt in the oven.

As Dawn explains, “Sugar is hygroscopic, meaning it attracts liquid in cookie dough. Less sugar allows the flour to absorb more of the liquid, which stiffens the dough and helps prevent over-spreading.” Chilling Holiday Butter Cookie dough helps the cookies keep their shape.

Yes, you can freeze thumbprint cookies — but it's best to freeze them before filling them with jam. Make and par-bake the dough, then use your thumb to press an indent into each puffed cookie.

Sandwich your dough between two sheets of parchment, roll, then freeze; it makes cut-out cookies a breeze! If you plan to store it for only a few hours or days, there's no need to overwrap the baking sheet; for longer storage, wrap the entire baking sheet tightly with plastic wrap before freezing.

How to prevent gluten-free cookies from spreading? ›

Learn to keep the dough cold by working with one piece at a time, leaving the rest in the fridge. Put your cookie dough, already rolled dough or even an entire cookie sheet with cut cookies on it in the fridge when it's too soft. This helps cut cookies hold their shape and overall decreases spreading during baking.

7- How do I fix crumbly gluten free cookie dough? If your cookie dough is too dry and crumbly, just add back to the mixing bowl and stir in a couple tablespoons of your favorite milk or an egg.

Use xanthan gum or guar gum: Gluten-free flours lack the elasticity and structure that gluten provides, so adding a binder like xanthan or guar gum can help to hold the ingredients together and give your baked goods a better texture.

Wet ingredients:

If you think your cookie dough is off, you may not have enough liquid in the recipe. Consider adding a touch more liquid such as melted butter, egg yolks, or a teaspoon of water. Add a teeny bit and see if that helps.

Only cookies made with all granular sucrose or all dissolved sucrose exhibited surface cracking. The unique ability of sucrose to recrystallize at the cookie surface during baking appears to be responsible for the surface cracking pattern.

Dry – “Dry” or “Crumbly” dough is a product of over-mixing or using too much of any ingredient during the mixing process. This can be reversed by adding one to two tablespoons of liquid (water, milk or softened butter) to your mix.

Too much flour: If you add too much flour to your cookie dough, it will be dry and crumbly. Make sure to measure your flour correctly using a kitchen scale or by spooning it into your measuring cup and then leveling it off. Not enough fat: Fat helps to bind the ingredients together and make cookies chewy.