SCRATCH SUGAR COOKIES & HOMEMADE ICING GLAZE
Makes 10-20 cookies (depending on the size of your cookie cutter…and how much cookie dough you eat while making them)
My Maw Maw always made sugar cookies for Christmas, and decorating them was a family event. They looked terrible, thanks to us. But they were always delicious, because my Maw Maw knew what she was doing. This recipe is an adaptation of her classic recipe.
Stuff You Need (Cookies)
1½ cups powdered sugar
1 cup vegan butter, softened at room temperature
¼ cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
½ teaspoon salt
2½ cups all-purpose flour, leveled
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
Baking pan
Non-stick spray or parchment paper
Stuff You Need (Icing Glaze)
1½ cups powdered sugar, leveled
2-3 tablespoons non-dairy milk or water (I use about 2 ¼ tablespoons of rice milk)
½ teaspoon almond extract
½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Optional: food coloring of your choice (I used Color Kitchen’s green packet)
Other recommended toppings: vegan sprinkles/colored sugar and decorating icing for edging the cookies. I used store-bought decorating icing (Betty Crocker). It comes in a ready to use bag and is super simple for piping edges.
What to Do
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a large bowl, whisk powdered sugar, softened vegan butter, non-dairy milk, vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt.
3. Add flour, cornstarch, and baking powder. Mix well with a spatula until well combined. The dough will be sticky—cover and refrigerate for 1 hour to firm up the dough. You may also leave it overnight if desired.
4. Once chilled, split the dough into two sections to make it easier to handle. Take half of the dough and begin to roll it out on a floured surface using a rolling pin until it is 1/2-inch thick. Sprinkle with flour as needed to keep things from sticking.
5. Cut into shapes using cookie cutters, then place on a greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet (at least 1 inch apart!). If making multiple trays, place prepared tray in the fridge while you roll out the second half of the dough.
6. Bake 20-25 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack.
7. While they’re cooling, whisk all icing ingredients together until smooth. Add the last tablespoon of rice milk slowly to achieve desired consistency (less liquid will make a thicker icing, while more liquid will create a thinner icing). If using, add food coloring last.
8. Once cookies are completely cool, spread icing and sprinkles on top, if using, and allow 1-2 hours to dry into a glaze. If you’re looking to make your cookies extra photogenic, line the edges of the cookies with decorating icing before spreading the glaze inside the lines.
