For all Mr. Wright's crazy mad skills, one thing he is not is a baker. Perhaps that's why, when he used the last of my vanilla extract making pancakes Sunday morning, he didn't put "Run to store immediately to buy more vanilla before Mama tries to bake something and turns into a vegan Betty Crocker in a homicidal rage" at the top of his list of priorities.
No matter... I'm used to improvising. Remember, I have seven kids. The art of making life work, even without the necessary ingredients, is a study I've (nearly) mastered. Cookies are slightly more important than life, but I decided to try the same technique.
That's how I ended up with Amaretto Sugar Cookies. (It should come as no surprise that - although her pantry may not be well-stocked - the Gonzo Mama's liquor cabinet is meticulously attended to and replenished.) Here's the jolly recipe:
Sexy Vegan Mama's Amaretto Sugar Cookies
Ingredients:
3/4 c. vegan stick margarine, chilled/firm (I use Nucoa)
1 c. evaporated cane juice crystals (I use Zulka, found in the Hispanic foods section at many stores or in the baking aisle) or vegan sugar
1 T. Ener-G Egg Replacer, prepared with 4 T. warm water and mixed well (or another equivalent of 2 eggs)
1 t. amaretto
2 1/2 c. unbleached flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. sea salt
Topping:
1/3 - 1/2 c. evaporated cane juice crystals or vegan sugar
2 T. ground cinnamon
(Optional: You may omit the cinnamon and use candy sprinkles, or make your own colored vegan sugar sprinkles, if you're really ambitious. Mix organic coarse sugar with food coloring. Spread out on waxed paper and dry well. Wear gloves.)
First off, your arm will get very tired creaming and stirring and stirring, so I recommend taking a couple swigs of the amaretto right off the bat, before you begin mixing. However, it's a good idea to get all your ingredients out on the counter, so your amaretto-impaired self won't forget to put something in.
In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and cane juice crystals or sugar. Make sure there are no lumps of margarine hiding in there!
Add prepared egg replacer "eggs" and amaretto and mix thoroughly.
Add in flour, baking powder and salt, stirring until well-blended.
Gather dough into a ball and wrap it in plastic wrap or a large zipper bag, then put it in the refrigerator to chill for an hour or two.
Remove dough and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Roll dough out to about 1/4" thick with a rolling pin, then use cookie cutters to shape. Carefully transfer cut cookies onto a lightly-oiled baking sheet, sprinkle with topping, and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until edge just begin to brown slightly.
I find the cookies are less likely to break when removing from the cookie sheet if I let them sit on the sheet after removing them from the oven for about ten minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack.
These are also really good frosted with almond frosting. To make, blend confectioner's sugar with vegan margarine, vanilla soy milk and almond extract (to taste) until desired consistency.
I like any recipe that encourages I have a drink while cooking! ;) These look sooooooooooooo good!
ReplyDeleteIt's critical to the recipe, in fact. :)
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