Ingredients
Scale
- 1/2 cup vegan margarine (Earth Balance)
- 1/2 cup all-natural cane sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegan cream cheese (Violife Original Cream Cheese)
- 1 tablespoon apple sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest (optional)
- 1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
Instructions
- Using a hand mixer, in a medium-sized bowl, cream vegan margarine and sugar until fluffy. Add vegan cream cheese and mix again until well combined. Next, add the apple sauce, vanilla, and lemon zest.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Stir to combine.
- Add the flour mixture to the vegan margarine mixture, a little at a time, mixing as you go.
- Form into a dough.
- On a silicone mat or parchment paper, roll out the dough, about 1/8 inch thickness. Place on a baking tray. Let chill in the fridge for about one hour.
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Next, remove rolled-out dough from the fridge. Working quickly, cut out cookies with various cookie cutters. Remove dough between each cookie shape as soon as possible. It gets more challenging as the dough warms up. Repeat the process with the excess dough.
- Bake at 350 F for 10 minutes or until cookies begin to brown on the edges.
- Let cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container.
- Decorate with icing (powdered sugar and a tiny amount of water).