Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar: 100 Dairy-Free Recipes for Everyone's Favorite Treats (12 page)

5. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until the edges just start to brown. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to complete cooling. Store loosely covered.

3 to 4 tablespoons turbinado, demerara,
or other coarse sugar
½ cup nonhydrogenated vegetable
shortening, softened
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup almond milk
2 tablespoons finely grated citrus zest
(from oranges, lemons, and limes)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons fine-ground cornmeal
(see tip)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the turbinado sugar onto a plate and set aside.

2. Use a hand mixer at medium speed to cream the shortening and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about a minute and a half. Mix in the almond milk, citrus zest, and vanilla.

3. Add all remaining ingredients and mix on medium speed until a soft, pliable dough forms. It might look crumbly, but when pressed between your fingers it should come together easily.

4. Roll heaping tablespoons of dough into balls. Press each ball into the turbinado sugar to flatten it into a tire shape, coating one side only. Place the cookies, sugar side up, on the baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly golden around the edges. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely. Store in a tightly sealed container.

Morsels

 

If your cornmeal is
medium or coarse ground,
give it a whirl in the
food processor.

 

7 ounces almond paste, sliced into
1-inch cubes
A pinch of salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
⅔ cup sugar
½ cup nonhydrogenated margarine,
softened
½ teaspoon almond extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup pine nuts
2 to 3 tablespoons almond milk for
dipping

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line two medium-size baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Pulse almond paste, salt, baking powder, and ⅓ cup of the sugar in a food processor until mixture is crumbly, about 1 minute.

3. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and remaining ⅓ cup sugar with an electric mixer until mixture is pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the almond paste mixture and almond extract and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Sift in the flour and beat until a slightly crumbly yet soft dough forms.

4. Pour the pine nuts into a shallow bowl and pour 2 tablespoons of almond milk into a small saucer. For each cookie scoop 1 tablespoon of dough and roll it in your palms to form into a ball. Dip one end of the ball in the almond milk and press this moistened end into pine nuts. If necessary, use your fingers to press the pine nuts into the dough. Place the dough balls, pine nut side up, on a baking sheet at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 14 minutes until cookies have puffed and spread a little and the nuts are just slightly toasted. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to firm up before carefully transferring them to wire racks. Store in a tightly covered container.

Morsels

 

These cookies are
super-soft right out of the oven,
so be sure to allow them a full
5 minutes to firm up on the
cookie sheet before transferring
to wire racks to complete
cooling.

 

⅓ cup soy milk
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
⅓ cup brown sugar
⅓ cup oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¾ cup flour
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ cups quick-cooking oats
½ cup raisins

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, use a fork to vigorously mix together the soy milk and flax seeds. Add in the sugar and oil and mix until it resembles caramel, about 2 minutes. Mix in the vanilla. Sift in the flour, spices, and salt, mixing the dry ingredients as they are being added. Fold in the oatmeal and raisins.

3. Drop dough in generous tablespoons, about 2 inches apart, onto the baking sheets. Flatten the tops a bit, since they don’t spread much. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

4. Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Store in a tightly covered container.

Morsels

 

If your raisins are looking
a little under the weather,
a tad too dry or sticking together,
place them in a bowl and pour warm
water over them. This will plump
them up and bring them
back to life.

 

½ cup canola oil
⅓ cup brown rice syrup
⅔ cup dark brown sugar
⅓ cup nondairy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
⅔ cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup roasted whole almonds, measured
first then roughly chopped
1½ cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon or less of
fleur de sel
or any
coarse-grained salt, for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two medium-size baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the oil, brown rice syrup, brown sugar, nondairy milk, and vanilla until smooth. Sift in the all-purpose flour, whole wheat pastry flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt and stir to moisten ingredients. Fold in the almonds and rolled oats. The batter will appear rather wet but will firm up a bit within a few minutes.

3. Drop dough in generous tablespoons, about 2 inches apart, onto the baking sheet. Lightly sprinkle the tops of the cookies with coarse-grained salt. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cookies are slightly puffed and the edges appear dry.

4. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Store in a loosely covered container as these cookies get soft if tightly covered.

Morsels

 

✦ A cookie warning, so pay attention! Go very easy on the salt when sprinkling the tops of these cookies. Six to eight large grains of salt may suffice, unless a bouillon cube cookie sounds good to you.

✦ For best flavor and appearance, use whole roasted almonds with the brown skin still on.