by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor
During the Christmas holiday, I went over to my sister’s house. Trying to be the cool aunt, spending quality time with my niece and nephews. I did a lot of baking to pass the time there. I made my usual Italian rainbow cookies, my chocolate, pistachios biscotti’s, Dutch apple pie and a peach cobbler. The professional 6 cup Kitchen Aid was getting a good work out. I was baking to give away as gifts. One of my nephew’s girl friend is VEGAN. Vegan; a person who does not eat any food derived from animals and who typically does not use other animal products. That means no eggs, no dairy, no meat. OMG my sister and I spent 2 hours googling and finding the right recipe that uses the ingredients that we already had on hand. I hate to spend all that money for a ¼ cup of coconut flour or and paying $6.00 for a bag of vegan chocolate chips that does not contain milk. What a challenge… all this one person.
Halleluiah, we came across the prefect recipe that used ingredients that we have around the house.
These Vegan Thumbprint Cookies are insanely addictive and perfect for the holiday season. With a buttery shortbread cookie base, a sweet raspberry filling and a drizzle of almond flavored glaze, just try to stop at one!
If you’re ever in a bind and need a vegan dessert recipe This is it.
If you’re are going to make them, send me a picture and let me know how they taste to you?
Back to my regular recipes next month.
Bon Appetite – Julia Child and Karen Soo shares the same birthday
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Chilling time: 10 mins
Total: 40 mins
Servings: 26 cookies
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 1/4 cups vegan butter, softened, you can use margarine
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- If Butter is unsalted, add a tiny pinch of salt
- 1/2 Cup Seedless raspberry jam or any jam of your choice
- Simple Almond Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2-3 teaspoon water, as needed
INGREDIENTS
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, stir the flour and powdered sugar together. Now add the softened butter and almond extract and mix with a hand mixer on low-medium speed until combined. The dough will look crumbly and soft but should smush together when squeezed in your hands. If it looks really crumbly, that means your butter was too cold. Use your hands to mush the dough together, the warmth from your hands will help it come together.
3. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls, about a tablespoon each, and place on baking sheets.
4. Make a small indentation with your thumb or finger in the center of each cookie, then fill with about a teaspoon of jam. For flatter cookies, flatten the balls a bit first, then make the indentation.
5. Place the baking sheet with the cookies in the freezer for 10 minutes before baking, then place in the preheated oven and bake for 15-16 minutes. This helps the cookies bake perfectly and not spread or flatten. The cookies will still be light in color and appear a bit underdone when you take them out of the oven, but they firm up as they cool.
6. Let cool for a few minutes on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the glaze:
Whisk all ingredients in a small bowl until smooth, adding water as needed to thin the icing. You want it to be pretty thick and not too thin. Add the glaze to a small bag, cut a small tip from a corner and drizzle over the cooled cookies. Let them set, then store cookies in an airtight container.
