170 g plain white flour aka all purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch aka cornflour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda aka baking soda
90 g icing sugar
115 g vegan butter room temperature (1 stick)
30 ml soy milk at room temperature, unflavoured and unsweetetend
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
- In a medium bowl, sieve together the plain white flour, cornstarch, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer beat together the icing sugar and vegan butter for at least 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Slowly add the soy milk followed by the vanilla and almond extracts, beating as you go.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and beat slowly until just combined into a dough. The dough will be very soft, unlike typical cookie dough – but don’t worry! Scoop the dough out onto a sheet of cling film/saran wrap and wrap completely. Place in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line three cookie sheets or baking trays with baking parchment.
- Once the dough is thoroughly chilled, heavily dust a clean counter and unwrap the dough. Divide the dough in half and keep one half wrapped and refrigerated.
- Roughly pat the other half of dough into a ball and dust the top with flour. Roll out into a ½ cm thick sheet and use a cookie cutter to cut out as many trees as you can. Transfer the cut-out trees to one of the lined baking sheets.
- Gather the excess dough from the counter and push into a rough ball. Wrap again in cling film/saran wrap and place back in the fridge. Remove the other chilled half of dough from the fridge and repeat the process with this half, making sure you gather the excess dough trimmings, wrap them and refrigerate.
- Place the two trays of cut out cookies in the preheated oven to bake for 8 minutes.