Sunday, January 9, 2011

Vanilla-Chai Snowflake Cookies


What's better than tea and cookies?  How about tea in your cookies?  I found this recipe for Vanilla-Chai cookies in The Detroit Free Press a few years and they quickly became one of my favorites.  They are more elegant and grown-up than the usual sugar cookies and gingerbread men and really stand out among the traditional favorites.  The original recipe uses a cookie press but after breaking two of those in one year, I've decided it's easier to roll them out.  If you want to go with the press, you only need to chill them for 30 minutes and may need to add a few minutes onto the baking time. 


Vanilla-Chai Snowflakes
(printable recipe)

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp. salt
1 cup Earth Balance margarine
½ cup sugar
Contents of 3 chai tea bags
Ener-G Egg Replacer for 1 egg
3 tsp. vanilla extract


Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.

2. In an electric mixing bowl (I use my Kitchen Aid stand mixer), on medium speed, cream the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).  Mix in the chai tea, Ener-G, and vanilla extract.  Reduce the speed to low and mix in the flour.

3. Divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap.  Chill the dough for at least two hours.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees 15 minutes before baking.  Roll out the dough to about ½-inch thickness and use a snowflake cutter (or whatever shape you desire) to cut out the cookies.  Place on a non-stick baking sheet and bake just until golden, rotating sheets halfway through, about 8-10 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes.

Lemon Vanilla Icing

2 cups powdered sugar
4 tbsp. non-dairy milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1-2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1. Whisk ingredients together in a medium bowl.

2. Dip the surface of the still-warm cookie into the icing and place on wire rack.  Cool completely and let icing set.  Store these in airtight containers between layers of parchment or wax paper for 1 week.

Recipe courtesy of Detroit Free Press.  Adapted from Martha Stewart Holiday 2008 magazine.  Veganized by me.

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