I decorated my cutout cookies with plain white icing spread across the entire cookie again, plain and simple. It’s probably the third year in a row I’ve done that, and I started wondering why I like colored Christmas lights and minimally decorated cookies, while others like white Christmas lights and colorfully decorated cookies… Hmmmm.
I can’t tell you where I got the recipe this one is based off of, because that’s top secret. Have no fear, I’m not infringing on anyone’s rights to their content. I got permission to share. π Consider yourself VERY lucky!
Last year I posted these cannabis-infused sugar cookies which are soft and fluffy and have a light spice to them. Highly recommend trying the recipe, if you’re in a state where it’s legal to do so of course. You can always sub plant-based butter for the dosed coconut oil, you’ll still get a unique delicious cookie! These cutout cookies are comparable in that they hold their shape really well and get a bakery quality taste from my newest baking obsession, almond extract.
The real MVPs of this entire recipe are, of course; vegan butter, egg replacer, and almond extract. Thanks to these heroes, any cookie recipe (basically) can be vegan-ized with a couple simple swaps. The almond extract isn’t for vegan-izing, but it does make a darn good final product. I called this company last year to confirm that the extract was vegan, and they informed me it is. So almond extract in every baked treat, please!
Funny story: when I moved out of my mom’s house years ago, I took all her cookie cutters with me LOL. I didn’t need any other kitchen appliance or tool, I was just seriously concerned I’d have to go the rest of my life without the cookie cutters I grew up with. The metal ones pictured in the recipe’s image below have a sticker on them that says “2/$1” (it looks like a hobby lobby sticker). I can’t bring myself to buy new cookie cutters, not even at the thrift store, because I can’t find them this cheap! I did buy the house cutter from the Magnolia collection at Target a couple years ago because I thought I was going to decorate little gingerbread houses. I was ambitious, but wrong. Ha! I also bought a vintage rabbit cookie cutter at an antique store when I went with my mom years ago in Kansas, but I only use it at Easter.
Decorating cutout cookies was always a tradition at my grandma’s house in Kansas and she had all the classic cookie cutter shapes…. Plus a squirrel. So every year we made and decorated “the Christmas squirrel”.
Buttery Vegan Cutout Cookies
Ingredients
- 6 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups Melt Organic vegan butter
- 1 cup organic brown sugar
- 1/3 cup egg replacer (Bob's Red Mill powdered egg replacer or aquafaba work well here)
- 1 cup organic cane sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl cream butter, vanilla, almond extract, and sugars
- Blend in egg replacer and salt
- Add flour one cup at a time
- Place bowl in freezer for 10 minutes
- Preheat oven to 350
- Prepare a surface for rolling out dough
- Separate dough into two halves and roll out one half at a time
- Cut cookie shapes out of dough and place on a cookie sheet. Spacing shouldn't be a concern as long as they're not touching, because they won't spread
- Bake each batch of cookies for 7 minutes for a softer cookie or 10 minutes (until golden brown) for a crunchy final product.
- Remove cookies from pan to avoid over cooking and rest on a cooling rack before frosting
For a basic icing recipe: whisk 1/2 C vegan butter, 1/2 C shortening, 1tsp vanilla, 1 tbsp plant milk, and about 3 C organic powdered sugar (add more if icing is too runny). Separate into a few small bowls and add vegan food coloring to each (optional)
I’d love to see how yours come out! Tag me on IG @beamingveganblog, message me, whatever! It warms my heart to see that you value these plant-based recipes π
Leave a Reply