Dairy Free Snickerdoodles

The smell of pine, the crisp cool air, the sounds of Christmas music wafting through the air…. it's time to bake. Throughout the year I enjoy cooking and baking, but during the holidays I crave it.

My all time favorite cookie is definitely the Snickerdoodle. It's a pretty simple cookie and they come together really fast. They also disappear from the cookie jar really fast. Not that I would know anything about that. 

The trick to making a good dairy free snickerdoodle is to maintain it's original allure. It needs to be "buttery" but also have a crispy on the outside chewy on the inside texture. Dairy free spread is great for the "buttery" flavor, but not so much for the crispy texture. Coconut oil is great for crispy texture but not for "buttery" flavor. I hoped that a combination of the two would produce just the right texture. 

DAIRY FREE SNICKERDOODLES

Makes 4 Dozen

• 1/2 cup dairy free spread (I use Earth Balance Soy Free)
• 1/2 cup coconut oil (at room temp)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

2 tbs sugar + 1-2 tbs cinnamon + a few pinches of freshly grated nutmeg (combined together to roll the cookies in)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Cream together the dairy free spread, the coconut oil and the sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. 

Add in 1 egg at a time and mix until combined. 

In a separate bowl combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. 

Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, just until the dough comes together. 

Roll into 1 inch balls and roll in the cinnamon/sugar/nutmeg mixture. 

Bake on an un-greased cookie sheet for 10 minutes, allow to cool 1 minute on the sheet and the move to a cooling rack.

It turns out that my dairy free spread and coconut oil combination produced a wonderful flavor and texture. This version is somewhat lighter and airier than the original,  in a very pleasant way. 

Peace,

Laura 

Chewy Gingerbread Molasses Cookies; Milk Free

Recently, as a guest at my cousin's Christmas themed wedding, I was invited to bake a batch of cookies for a cookie table. It was a cute idea since cookies are quintessentially linked to Christmas (at least in my mind) and coincidentally her new hubby is a dairy farmer. Milk and cookies; what a combo.

It was a bit of a bummer to think about all the other dairy filled treats that would fill those cookie tables; and how I wouldn't be able to enjoy any of them. BIG. FROWNY. FACE.

But, I got over it. Plus, I was baking for two at a minimum, myself and my cousin's little girl, who has recently been experiencing a terrible rash from consuming dairy. They find themselves in the very same place that I found myself a little over a year ago, adapting to a new way of dairy free life. Hopefully this recipe will soften the blow.

My hubby's favorite cookie was the object of my experimentation. Chewy Gingerbread Molasses. It's a perfect holiday cookie filled with ginger, cinnamon and molasses. Last Christmas I tried to adapt the recipe using coconut oil. Hubby was not impressed. This year: SUCCESS!

The final recipe is a combination of the best of three individual recipes, so I'm proud to call it my own!

CHEWY GINGERBREAD MOLASSES COOKIES; MILK FREE
Makes 3 dozen

• 3/4 cup Earth Balance Vegan Spread (Soy Free)
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 egg
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• sanding sugar or an additional 1/4 cup sugar for rolling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cream together the Earth Balance and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix until combined. Add the molasses and mix until combined.
In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt.
Gradually incorporate the flour mixture; mixing only until the dough comes together.
Roll into 1 inch balls and roll in the sanding sugar.
Bake on an un-greased cookie sheet for 13 minutes (at least that's the magic number in my oven).
Cool 1 minute on the cookie sheet and remove to cool on a wire rack.

As I passed by the cookie table after dinner I was pleasantly surprised to see a completely empty tray. I felt proud to have contributed a dairy free cookie that myself and my cousin's little girl could enjoy,  and no one else was any the wiser.

Here's to hoping your holidays are filled with peace, love and cookies!

Peace,
Laura