For The Cookies:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Take out and set aside two additional sheets for rolling the dough.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, tapioca starch, sugar and salt.
4. Cut butter into flour with a pastry cutter as you would with a pie crust.
5. Add milk and vanilla to the flour and work the liquid and butter into the flour by hand. It will feel dry at first, then it will turn into a play-doh like texture.
6. Wrap dough in plastic wrap, chill in freezer for 15-20 minutes.
7. Then roll dough in between two pieces of parchment paper–this way it won’t stick to the rolling pin. Don’t roll it too thick or thin. (You can dust the surface with just a tiny touch of tapioca starch).
8. Use the animal cookie cutters and cut out shapes. Peel away the dough around the cutouts and use an offset spatula or carefully peel the cookies off the paper and transfer them to a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. (If the dough gets too soft and warm at any point, just stick it back in the freezer for a few minutes). (See our shortbread cookie video in the post above if you’d like visual guidance)
9. Place cookies into preheated oven and bake at 350 degrees for about 12-15 minutes depending on thickness. Rotate your cookie sheet 180 degrees at 8 minutes in.
10. Take cookies out of oven when they start to turn golden brown around the edges. They will still be soft to the touch at this point.
11. Place cookie sheet on counter top and leave untouched for 6 full minutes. Then use a spatula to carefully transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack-this will crisp them up. Again, be careful not to let them slip off the spatula during transfer as they could break when they’re still warm.
12. While your cookies are cooling, melt your white chocolate using a double broiler method. You may, if desired, mix in a tablespoon or two of coconut oil or Spectrum Shortening to smooth and thin the white chocolate. You also may add a drop of food coloring gel and mix with a dry whisk.
13. Set a cookie on a fork and lower it into your melted white chocolate until the cookie is coated. Place coated cookie onto parchment lined plate and sprinkle with non pareils, repeat. Put them in the freezer for 10 minutes for the chocolate to harden. Serve and enjoy!

For The Cupcakes (optional)