Spiced Sugar Cookies (Vegan)

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As the holiday season approaches, it is important to make time for baking. Gingerbread cookies, chocolate truffles, peppermint candies, and spiced sweet breads are desserts that warm our hearts as we enjoy this special time of the year with the ones we love.

I absolutely love this sweet treat of a recipe: spiced sugar cookies with maple icing. This is a vegan recipe that I enjoy baking during the holiday season. These cookies will be a joy to bake as the rich smells of cinnamon, allspice, maple, and nutmeg fill the kitchen.

Vegan baking recipes will call for substitutions for butter, eggs, and dairy products. All of these items can be found inside Friendly City. Cacao nibs, dairy-free butter, a wide variety of dairy substitutes, oils, and flax can be found in the refrigerated and bulk food and baking sections. A variety of flour blends can be found in the baking aisle for gluten-free baking as well. Be sure to pay attention to how substitutions are used in these recipes because small deviations may ruin the product. My spiced sugar cookies have a simple substitute for butter: an equal ratio of dairy-free butter.

Check out how you can make these sweet cookies below. One of my favorite ingredients is Maple Flavor. Friendly City is stocked with flavors and extracts galore that are absolutely perfect for baking desserts. Cinnamon, Lemon, and Peppermint flavors are all options that you could use to bake other delicious treats like spiced cinnamon cupcakes with sweet lemon icing or chocolate-peppermint bark.

Ingredients (makes 32 cookies)

2 ½ c. flour
1 c. organic cane sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. allspice
½ tsp. maple flavor (in the baking aisle)
1 c. soft vegan butter (I used Earth Balance Original)
½ c. water

Icing
1 c. organic cane sugar
½ c. soft vegan butter
½ c. non-dairy milk
½ c. maple syrup
½ T. maple flavor

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add butter and water to the dry ingredients, and mix with a hand mixer until the dough forms a ball.
3. Form the dough into balls (using 2 T. of dough), and flatten into the size of a hockey puck.
4. Arrange cookies on a greased baking sheet about 1” apart.
5. Chill the dough / baking sheets for about 10 minutes before placing in the oven. Bake in the oven for about 8-10 minutes until they rise. They will firm up as they cool.
6. As the cookies bake, begin making the icing: add all the icing ingredients to a small pot on the stove. Mix, and bring to a boil on high for approximately one minute.
7. Turn the heat off, and allow the sugar sauce to sit for 10 minutes.
8. Whip the icing with a hand mixer for about 3-4 minutes until thick.
9. Drizzle the icing over the cool cookies on parchment paper.

Enjoy these irresistible spiced cookies, and good luck with all your baking adventures this holiday season!

 

Madeleine Wirth
Madeleine is a senior at James Madison University, studying to be a registered dietitian. She loves exploring recipes with fresh and nutritious ingredients. As a native to the Shenandoah Valley, she passionately supports the local food economy in Harrisonburg.