Recipe: Vegan Shortbread Cookies

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Hello friends,

As you may have noticed from my recent posts, I am trying to burn through an overstock of chocolate chips and crystalized ginger chips. I figure you can make any basic cookie and spice it up by using whatever add-on ingredients can be found in the cupboards.

Tonight I decided to try my hand at making a vegan shortbread cookie. Interestingly enough, I have never made a shortbread cookie. This is partly because, there is a significant amount of prep time due to freezing the dough before slicing it and baking. That said – shortbread cookies can be worth the wait. If they are done right they should be flakey, decadent, and sweet.

What follows is my take on the traditional shortbread cookie. I hope you enjoy them. The next time you want a sweet treat that goes great with coffee, don’t hesitate to make these!

Cheers!

Jocelyn


Vegan Shortbread Cookies

***Please feel free to share widely, just give me some credit or a link back
Prep Time: ~40 minutes; Cook Time: ~15-20 minutes; Yield: 24 cookies

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Ingredients/ Shopping List:

  • 1 cup vegan butter/ margarine at room temperature (I used Earth Balance)
  • ½ cup Splenda or granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ¼ tsp almond extract
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 2 cups all purpose or whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup “add ins” (Use 1 cup chopped pecans for traditional cookies or try a cookie with a twist by using ½ cup cranberries and ½ cup chocolate chips. I used ½ cup crystalized ginger chips and ½ cup chocolate chips).
  • ¼ tsp cardamom, nutmeg, or cinnamon for an extra kick

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  3. Combine the butter and sugar until no clumps remain.
  4. Add in the extracts, salt, and spice(s).
  5. Once well-mixed, slowly add in the flour.
  6. Mix until completely blended and then fold in the “add-ins.”
  7. Roll your dough into a log with a ~3in diameter.
  8. Wrap in parchment paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
  9. Remove the dough and slice into ½ inch thick rounds.
  10. Place cookies on baking sheets. They can be quite close together since the cookies spread very little.
  11. Bake the cookies for 15-20 minutes until the edges are golden brown.
  12. Remove the cookies and place on a cooling rack.
  13. Enjoy!

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