VEGAN SUGAR COOKIES THAT WON’T SPREAD

Every holiday, I really struggle with cookies. I totally want to make THOSE cookies. You know, the intricate, pretty ones with the shapes that stay when you bake them and the icing that does some fancy spreading when put on, but then it kind of hardens. You know the ones. They look like a million dollars, but you know that they have to be easy or no one would make them ever. Yeah, those. I want to make those. But I could not. Nope, not me. Until I made some crazy mistakes and stumbled across this stupid-easy recipe. Yeah, that’s right. Vegan Sugar Cookies that Won’t Spread. I am in love. I can’t wait to use these for like EVERYTHING.

After much trial and error, I finally have the perfect recipe for soft cut-out vegan sugar cookies.  Seriously, these are the cookies of my dreams, and I think you will LOVE them!

They are easy to make and roll out. A little trick I learned is to roll the dough onto parchment paper before chilling in the refrigerator. This way, the cookie dough only needs to chill for about an hour before you can cut and bake! And you don’t have to roll out cookie dough that is crumbling everywhere. Easy peasy.

HOW TO MAKE PERFECT VEGAN SUGAR COOKIES:
First, make the dough, using just 1 bowl and either a standing mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer. Your cookie dough should be similar to the texture of play dough. It will be rather crumbly in the bowl, but not dry, and it should stick together when you use your hands to roll it into a ball. Once the dough is made, break it into two balls. Place one of the doughs onto parchment paper, on a hard surface.

Roll the dough out, about 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle a little flour on top so the dough doesn’t stick to your rolling pin.

Place another piece of parchment paper on top of the first rolled dough.

Repeat with the second ball of dough (I usually do this right on top of the first rolled dough). Place another piece of parchment paper on top and carefully transfer the rolled dough to the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.

Ingredients

• 1 c granulated sugar vegan
• 1/2 c margarine vegan, room temperature
• 1/2 c vegetable shortening
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract not imitation
• 3 tbsp aquafaba or 1 flax egg
• 3 1/4 c all-purpose flour

Instructions
Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350° F. 
2. Mix sugar, margarine, and shortening just until combined. 
3. While sugar and fats mix, sift your flour into a medium-sized bowl (optional, but helpful).
4. Add vanilla and aquafaba (or flax egg). Mix until combined.   
5. Add flour. Mix until combined and the dough pulls away from the bowl. You should be able to press your finger into it, leaving a perfect impression, without it sticking to you. 
6. Lightly flour your rolling surface.
7. Take half of the dough, form it into a disk and set it on your floured surface; cover the other half with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.
8. Lightly flour the top of your dough, and roll it out to about 3/8” thick. Cut out your cookies with whatever cutters you desire and transfer them to a parchment paper or silicone mat lined baking sheet. 
9. Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until the tops of the cookies no longer appear wet. 
10. Remove the pan from the oven, and allow the cookies to rest on the pan for ten minutes before moving them to a cooling rack to come to room temperature. 
11. Add your leftover scraps of dough to the half you covered with plastic and repeat steps 6, and 8-10. 

Recipe Notes

• After the cookies are cool, store them between layers of paper towel in a sealed storage container at room temperature.  You may also freeze them this way - just be sure to allow them to thaw completely in the sealed container without opening it.  Decorate with your icing of choice or enjoy plain.