If there’s one thing it’s almost impossible to find in a store that’s been gluten-freed, it’s Christmas cookies. Since it’s something I don’t even care to eat more than once a year, it’s totally understandable that a magic gluten-free cookie fairy isn’t going to show up in my neighborhood with a fresh-baked batch just in time for my seasonal glittery sugar craving. Right? Anyone have information to the contrary?

So I decided to use this opportunity to bust out Thomas Keller’s brand spanking new gluten-free flour, Cup4Cup since I know Christmas cookies can be a little bit unstable. As can relatives, this time of year. Added to a very simple sugar cookie recipe, it turned out these cute and festive wonders. Yes, we are all up in Hanukkah and the Christmas spirit.

It’s a bummer that gingerbread man peed his pants, with icing. And that I have the sense of humor of a 12-year-old.

Cup4Cup costs like $20, so I’ve been agonizing over what to make with my precious package of The French Laundry maestro’s gluten-free efforts. So any suggestions, please send my way because this made my cookies taste just like the real deal, and I’m blanking on what other amazoids gf’ness I need to be creating with this white gold. But you know what wasn’t great? The gluten-free icing that I bought. I mean, these guys like it, but I’m making my own next time.

But then again, they also created this when I let them go crazy with the icing and the icing pens.

I know. Totally scary. But those kids ate the crap out of these messed up Franken-cookies, and left the rest of them for us. Wheeee! Bring it, Christmas. We’re ready.

Gluten-Free Christmas Cookies

adapted from Good Housekeeping, that’s right I said Good Housekeeping

Prep time: 20 minutes & 1 hour chill time Cook time: 15 minutes

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In large bowl, with mixer on low speed, beat butter and sugar until blended. Increase speed to high; beat until light and creamy. On low speed, beat in egg and vanilla. Beat in gluten-free flour, baking powder, and salt until blended.

2. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces; flatten each piece into a disk. Wrap each disk with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour or until dough is firm enough to roll.

3. On lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin (don’t forget gluten-free flour here!), roll 1 piece of dough 1/8 inch thick. With floured 3-inch to 4-inch cookie cutters, cut dough into as many cookies as possible. Place cookies, 1 inch apart, on ungreased large cookie sheet.

4. Bake cookies 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool.

5. When cookies are cool, decorate and set cookies aside to allow frosting to dry completely, about 1 hour. Store in tightly covered container (with waxed paper between layers if decorated) at room temperature up to 2 weeks, or in freezer up to 3 months.

Makes: 48 cookies