Thanks, AJ. The flax seed/ water combo works really well to replace eggs in a recipe.
I also sometimes add a tbspn of applesauce in vegan cookies, to help with the texture and improve taste. This works really well for peanut butter cookies, oatmeal cookies, etc.
Hilarybee, that's good to know about the flax seed/water replacement. I'm not usually cooking for vegans, but I do run out of eggs occasionally. Love the workaround!! Thanks so much. And happy holidays!! ;o)
Great recipes, Hilarybee! Really like the addition of ground flax seeds. I'm going to try this!! My mother often made cookies with shortening, and frankly, in many cookies I prefer the texture (chewy, with body but not dry) that shortening provides. So glad you posted this!! ;o)
I second the icing suggestions! Adding something citrusy like lemon juice to the icing sugar will help it to set, and adds a nice tang, which keeps it from being too sweet. If youre looking for something with a bit more body, you could make a simple buttercream, but with vegetable fat based margarine, and add in some flavouring.
Vegan Soft Sugar Cookies
2/3 cup shortening, all-vegtetable, non-hydrogenated. I use spectrum.
2/3 cup room temp Vegan Baking sticks, get Earth Balance
1 1/2 cups sugar (make sure it's vegan grade, like Florida Crystals or Sugar in the raw)
1/4 cup water
2 tsp ground flax seed or ground chia seeds
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/3 cups AP flour
In a small bowl, combine the water, ground chia/flax seeds, and vanilla. Allow to sit while you are assembling the rest of the ingredients.
Cream the shortening, sugar and the vegan sticks together in an electric mixer on medium speed. I'd cream for about 2 minutes, until the mixture is very fluffy and the sugar granules are no longer visible.
In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, salt together. Turn the mixer off, and add the dry ingredients to the wet all at once. Mix on low speed until it starts to form clumps and pulls away from the side of the bowl.
Shape into balls and bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 for drop cookies. For roll out, refrigerate for at least four hours. Work quickly while rolling, the dough will become very sticky, very quickly. Depending on size of the roll out, bake for 6-8 minutes at 350.
Easy recipe for a vegan buttercream like icing:
1/2 cup all vegetable shortening
4 cups powder sugar, sifted
1/4 cup non-dairy milk (I usually like to use coconut milk, though rice milk works too)
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Cream the shortening for one minute. Add the powder sugar, one cup at a time. Small clumpy balls will form after about two minutes. Start to drizzle in the non-dairy milk until the frosting has reached desired consistency. Add vanilla and beat for another minute until very smooth.
I adapted this recipe to be vegan from the University of Cookie last year. Original: http://www.universityofcookie.com/search?updated-max=2011-05-04T11:04:00-05:00&max-results=3
Here's a snickerdoodle recipe from FOOD52 that is vegan: it looks simple and good. http://www.food52.com/recipes/10685_snickerdoodles_vegan For non-dairy icing, simply use confectioners' sugar, to which you add, a few drops at a time, lemon or orange juice, or apple cider, or brandy or rum (or even water, but that wouldn't be very interesting). Couldn't be easier. Have fun! ;o)
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I also sometimes add a tbspn of applesauce in vegan cookies, to help with the texture and improve taste. This works really well for peanut butter cookies, oatmeal cookies, etc.
Vegan Soft Sugar Cookies
2/3 cup shortening, all-vegtetable, non-hydrogenated. I use spectrum.
2/3 cup room temp Vegan Baking sticks, get Earth Balance
1 1/2 cups sugar (make sure it's vegan grade, like Florida Crystals or Sugar in the raw)
1/4 cup water
2 tsp ground flax seed or ground chia seeds
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/3 cups AP flour
In a small bowl, combine the water, ground chia/flax seeds, and vanilla. Allow to sit while you are assembling the rest of the ingredients.
Cream the shortening, sugar and the vegan sticks together in an electric mixer on medium speed. I'd cream for about 2 minutes, until the mixture is very fluffy and the sugar granules are no longer visible.
In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, salt together. Turn the mixer off, and add the dry ingredients to the wet all at once. Mix on low speed until it starts to form clumps and pulls away from the side of the bowl.
Shape into balls and bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 for drop cookies. For roll out, refrigerate for at least four hours. Work quickly while rolling, the dough will become very sticky, very quickly. Depending on size of the roll out, bake for 6-8 minutes at 350.
Easy recipe for a vegan buttercream like icing:
1/2 cup all vegetable shortening
4 cups powder sugar, sifted
1/4 cup non-dairy milk (I usually like to use coconut milk, though rice milk works too)
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Cream the shortening for one minute. Add the powder sugar, one cup at a time. Small clumpy balls will form after about two minutes. Start to drizzle in the non-dairy milk until the frosting has reached desired consistency. Add vanilla and beat for another minute until very smooth.
I adapted this recipe to be vegan from the University of Cookie last year. Original: http://www.universityofcookie.com/search?updated-max=2011-05-04T11:04:00-05:00&max-results=3