Vegan Coconut Sugar Cookies

Preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the coconut oil and confectioners’ sugar on medium speed just until smooth, 30 to 45 seconds. Add 3 Tbs. of the almond milk 1 Tbs. at a time, beating after each addition until it is thoroughly incorporated, and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla and beat until combined, about 20 seconds. Add the baking powder, salt and 1 cup (5 oz./155 g) of the flour. Beat on medium speed until about half of the flour is incorporated, 10 to 15 seconds, then add the remaining 1/3 cup (2 oz./60 g) flour. Continue beating just until all of the flour is incorporated. Press the dough with your fingertips; it should feel soft but still retain its shape when molded. If it is too soft, add the remaining 1 Tbs. flour and beat just until incorporated. If it is too dry, add the remaining 1 Tbs. almond milk and beat just until incorporated.

Cover a work surface with a large sheet of parchment paper, and dust the parchment liberally with flour. Using a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick. Using the desired-shape cookie cutter about 3 inches (7.5 cm) in diameter, cut out the cookies and carefully transfer them to the prepared baking sheet. (You can gather up and reroll the dough scraps if you like, but the texture of the finished cookies will not be the same, and you may find the dough too crumbly to reroll.) Transfer the baking sheet to the freezer and chill the cookies for 10 minutes.

Bake the cookies until they start to turn golden at the edges, 9 to 10 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the cookies cool for 5 minutes. Transfer the cookies to the wire rack and let cool to room temperature.

While the cookies are cooling, make the icings. To make the magenta icing, in a small bowl, stir together the beet powder and 1 tsp. of the warm water. Add the confectioners’ sugar and the remaining 1 tsp. warm water and whisk until thoroughly combined. Add the brown rice syrup and whisk until combined. Set aside.

To make the white icing, in a small bowl, whisk together the warm water and confectioners’ sugar until combined, then whisk in the brown rice syrup until combined.

Transfer about a third of the magenta icing and a third of the white icing into separate pastry bags fitted with a plain #2 decorating tip. Use the magenta icing in the pastry bag to outline half of the cookies, and use the white icing to outline the remaining half of the cookies. Set the cookies aside for 10 minutes to allow the icing to harden.

Squeeze any icing remaining in the pastry bags back into their respective bowls of icing. Whisk the icing in each bowl to dissolve any pieces that might have hardened. Whisk 1/4 tsp. warm water into the magenta icing, then test the consistency. When you lift a spoonful of frosting from the bowl and drizzle it back in, the icing should disappear into the bowl within 3 seconds. Add more water, 1/4 tsp. at a time, to reach the desired consistency. Repeat the process to thin the white icing in the same manner.

Transfer the magenta and white icings to separate small squeeze bottles and squeeze the icing inside the outlines to cover the cookies, being careful not to bump the piped edges. (If necessary, use the back of a small spoon to spread the icing all over the cookie.) If desired, sprinkle the cookies with freeze-dried raspberries or shredded coconut. Set the cookies aside to allow the icing to set for at least 1 hour. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Makes about 12 cookies.

Recipe by Ashlae W., creator of the blog Oh Lady Cakes