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4. Allow cookie mixture to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.

5. Using a ¼ cup measure or a tablespoon, scoop out warm cookie dough and place on the prepared baking sheets. Press down to flatten cookies just a little with oiled hands. No-bake cookies don’t spread much, but they still need a little room between each other, about 1 inch apart.

6. Let cookies cool and firm up completely on the baking sheet before wrapping in plastic wrap, storing in an airtight container, or in zipper-lock plastic bags.

BAKERʹS BONUS

No need to dirty extra bowls or pans with this cookie recipe. Save cleanup time by making the entire recipe in one saucepan.

Chapter 11

Specialty Cookies

In This Chapter

• Fancy and nutty cookies

• Molded and rolled cookies

• Unbelievable biscotti

Want to impress your guests with something a little elegant, but only have time to make cookies? Or have you been asked to bring a cookie platter to the company party and are looking for something special? If you want pretty, festive sweets on your cookie plate, but without all the dairy and eggs, this chapter is for you.

Choose a nice selection of cookies with lots of color that will make your cookie platter stand out among the rest of the desserts on the table. Thumbprint Cookies rolled in chopped nuts and filled with red and green jam will sparkle for the holidays. Pink Cherry Valentine Cookies decked out with chopped red cherries are perfect for the holiday of love, Mother’s Day, or even Christmas. And who doesn’t love snowy-white Pecan Butterballs made with ground pecans and coated in vegan confectioners’ sugar?

Speaking of nuts, a few of these vegan cookie recipes have toasted chopped nuts in them. If you don’t like pecans, try substituting almonds or walnuts. Grinding nuts can be as easy as putting them in the food processor and giving it a whirl to achieve the size of nut you need. Refer to the recipes for instructions on how to toast nuts.

Cherry Valentine Cookies

These cookies are pretty and pink with an almond flavor and sweet maraschino cherries. Add a vegan chocolate kiss or candy disc on top for a little something extra!

Yield:

25 to 30 cookies

Prep time:

50 to 60 minutes

Bake time:

10 to 12 minutes

Serving size:

1 cookie

1 cup nonhydrogenated vegan

margarine, softened

1 cup vegan confectioners’ sugar

1 TB. maraschino cherry juice

½ tsp. pure almond extract

2 drops natural red food coloring

¼ tsp. salt

2½ cups unbleached all-purpose

flour

½ cup drained and chopped

maraschino cherries

25 to 30 vegan chocolate kisses or

candy discs

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil or spray 2 baking sheets with vegetable shortening, or line with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, and using an electric mixer fitted with the beater attachment on medium speed, beat vegan margarine and confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula. Add maraschino cherry juice, almond extract, red food coloring, and salt, and beat again.

3. Reduce speed to low, add ½ of unbleached all-purpose flour, and mix to combine. Add remaining flour, scraping the bowl as needed. Add maraschino cherries, and mix only enough to combine. (If your kitchen is especially warm or humid, cover and chill dough for 30 minutes before scooping and baking.)

4. Using a small ice cream scoop or tablespoon, scoop out cookie dough and place on the prepared baking sheets, leaving enough room for cookies to spread a little, about 1 inch apart. Do not flatten cookies.

5. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until slightly firm and slightly browned around the edges. Remove cookies from the oven, and immediately place an unwrapped chocolate kiss or chocolate disc on the top of each cookie, pressing down slightly. Transfer cookies to wire racks, and cool completely before storing in an airtight container or in zipper-lock plastic bags.

BATTER UP!

Look for vegan and gluten-free all-natural red