Unicorn Cookies

These unicorn-shaped cookies are the cookies you deserve. They're sweet, buttery, and so easy to make, even the icing! The fun part is the decoration, which you can turn into a fun group activity — what color will your unicorn be?

UNICORN COOKIES [VEGAN]

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE COOKIES:

• 3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup sugar, blended
• 1 cup whipped vegan butter
• 1 vegan egg replacer
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

FOR THE ICING:

• 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 2-3 tablespoons non-dairy milk
• 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/3 package of vegan blue, red, and yellow food coloring (or make your own natural food coloring, see notes)

PREPARATION

TO MAKE THE COOKIES:

1. Mix together the sugar and earth balance in a stand mixer using the paddle attachment.
2. Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl, whisk, and set aside.
3. Prepare the egg replacer according to the directions on the box and add it to the sugar and vegan butter, mixing after the addition.
4. Add the vanilla extract to the mixing bowl and mix again.
5. Add the flour to the mixing bowl, half at a time, mixing in between additions. Scrape the sides (and bottom) with a spatula, and remix.
6. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper.
7. Roll some of the dough on a floured surface, with a floured rolling pin to 1/4-inch thickness.
8. Cut out unicorn shapes, dipping the unicorn cookie cutter into flour in between each cut. Place the unicorns on the parchment-lined baking sheets.
9. Freeze each tray of cookies once they’re filled for 5-10 minutes (or the amount of time it takes you to fill the next tray).
10. Bake in a 350º oven for 10 minutes.
11. Remove tray from the oven and let sit until cookies have cooled.
12. Repeat until all the dough has been used up.

TO MAKE THE ICING:

1. Sift the powdered sugar into the bowl of a kitchen aid stand mixer (or you can use a handheld mixer).
2. Add half of the non-dairy milk and 2 tablespoons of the corn syrup and mix using the whisk attachment. Start on a low speed (unless you like the look of yourself covered in powdered sugar) and increase speed as the ingredients start to combine. Scrape the sides and bottom with a spatula and then mix again.
3. Add non-dairy milk teaspoon by teaspoon, mixing constantly, until you get a consistency thin enough to pipe.
4. Transfer 1-2 ounces of icing to a squeeze bottle with a narrow opening at the top (or to a piping bag fitted with round tip #1).
5. Trace the outline of all 30 cookies using this squeeze bottle of white icing.
6. Transfer 9 tablespoons of icing to a separate bowl and set aside.
7. Add more non-dairy milk to the remaining white icing and mix again. You want a thinner consistency this time to fill in the cookie.
8. Transfer the rest of the icing (from the mixing bowl, not the separate bowl) to a squeeze bottle with a wider opening at the top. An old agave or mustard bottle works well.
9. Squeeze the thinner icing onto the cookies that have already been outlined. Decorate like you are coloring with a bottle instead of a crayon. Before moving to the next cookie, use a toothpick to help fill any holes you may have. Continue with the rest of the cookies.

NOTES

For red and pink colors, any red fruit or veggie will work. Beets, raspberries, cranberries and pomegranates are all good choices.

To get a bright orange color, use carrot juice or carrot powder.

Use saffron or turmeric for yellow.

Use spinach or matcha for green.

To make blue color, we can use blueberries and blueberry juice.

Blueberries can also be used for purple color as can blackberries, red cabbage, grape juice, and even purple sweet potatoes.

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/unicorn-cookies/?utm_source=Green+Monster+Mailing+List&utm_campaign=58d1ac3e09-NEWSLETTER_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_bbf62ddf34-58d1ac3e09-106919241