The most delicious sugar cookies you could ever put in your mouth - and they just so happen to be vegan and gluten-free, as well as unbelievably easy to make.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the margarine, shortening, and sugar on low, until just combined
While the fats and sugar are creaming, sift together dry ingredients in a separate bowl
Beat aquafaba, one tablespoon at a time, and vanilla into the sugar mixture on low just until incorporated
Add the dry ingredients while mixer is on low, a half a cup at a time until it is no longer sticky and resembles Play-Doh.
Separate your dough into equal halves, and wrap one in plastic wrap to keep it moist for when you're done rolling and cutting the first half
Flour countertop and top of dough, and roll out the uncovered half of your dough – 1/4″ for crispy cookies and 3/8″ for soft cookies.
Cut out cookies with your cutters of choice
Place cookies onto parchment or silicone mat lined cookie sheets, and bake for 10-12 minutes (they should not be browning but should look dry on top if you want a soft cookie)
Let the cookies rest for 4-5 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to a cooling rack
Feel free to re-roll the scraps as many times as needed until all your dough has been used! We did a total of six times and all the cookies came out great!
We prefer the Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour because it works amazingly, it’s milk-free, and it’s rice-free. Nothing wrong with rice, but most gluten-free alternatives are made with it, so this helps cut down a little. You only need to add xanthan gum to it to make it indistinguishable from wheat flour in baked goods.
I use Zulka sugar because it’s bone char free, very inexpensive, and found in all of my major grocery stores.
The amount of flour you have to add may vary. It’ll depend on what butter you use and its moisture content, as well as how humid it is where you are. It’s very humid here, so we may have added more than what you’ll need. Judge the batter on how it looks and feels. Once it has a velvety playdoh-like texture, it’s ready to roll!
Also, if your cookies taste “beany”, they’re underdone. Give them a couple more minutes and the taste should fade. If they still taste beany, try adding a touch of lemon or topping with lemon icing.
DO NOT JUDGE THE COOKIES BY THE SMELL OR TASTE OF THE RAW DOUGH. GARBANZO FLOUR TASTES AND SMELLS HORRIFIC RAW.
Please enjoy, and merry Christmas!