• Place the ½ cup unsalted butter or vegan baking stick in a heat safe bowl. Place a paper towel on top of the bowl so the butter doesn't splatter.

  Microwave in 11 second increments until almost melted. Whisk until fully melted; the residual heat will melt the rest. Set aside to cool. Do not microwave until it bubbles or browns.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the 1 ¾ cups multipurpose gluten free flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, using a spoon, mix together the 2 rounded tablespoons of cornstarch and the 3 tablespoons of water until thin and watery. It will be thick and tacky at first.
• Whisk the cooled butter until a creamy liquid. It may be thick from sitting out.

  Into the cooled and creamy melted butter, whisk in the 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar, the cornstarch water and the 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract until fully emulsified.
• Starting and ending with the flour mixture, whisk half the flour mixture into the melted butter mixture. Then add the ¼ cup milk and whisk to combine.

  Add in the second half of the flour mixture gently with a spatula. Do not over mix or the dough will become shiny and too sticky.
• The dough will be very sticky. Add it to a freezer safe bowl, cover the top with plastic wrap and pop the entire bowl of dough in the freezer for 45 min. 

  When the dough is almost done chilling, preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Do not grease.
• After 45 min, using a large cookie scoop, make 12 scoops with the dough. (I use a 2 ounce cookie scoop).

  If the dough is sticking to the cookie scoop, wash the scoop half way through to get off any stuck on dough.
• Flatten each scoop into a thick disc versus a ball. If you don't do this step, the cookies will remain in the ball shape when baking.

  Drop the top of the disc in the extra 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar and coat. Roll the disc on its side to coat the sides with sugar as well. Do not coat the bottom with sugar or the cookies will burn.
• Place the discs about 3-4 inches apart on the parchment lined baking sheet. Bake the cookies at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes.

  I only bake 6 at a time. Pop the rest of the dough discs in the fridge while the first batch is baking.
• Immediately reshape the cookies when they come out of the oven. Use a spatula to push them into a circle and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 min before transferring to a cooling rack. If you don't let them cool on the pan, the cookies will break apart into a giant mess when you try to lift them up.

  If any cookies have puffed up, gently push them down with the back of a cookie spatula.

  If you don't let them cool on the pan, the cookies will break apart into a giant mess when you try to lift them up.

  Let the cookies cool completely before adding the buttercream, otherwise the frosting will turn into a liquid mess.

  Repeat this with the remaining dough discs.

For the Vanilla Buttercream

• In a bowl, using a spatula, or in the bowl of an electric mixer, mix together the ¼ cup of butter, 2 ¼ cups of confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract. 
• Slowly add in the 2 tablespoons of water a little at a time until you get the desired consistency. The frosting should be smooth and creamy. You may not need all the water.

  If adding the red food coloring, add a drop now and mix until the frosting is a light pink.
• Using an icing spatula or a butter knife, frost the tops of the completely cooled cookies. Don't go all the way to the edge of the cookie. Make sure you can see the cookie on the edges.
• If topping the cookies with sprinkles, add while the frosting is still wet, so the sprinkles stick.