I don’t know about you, but I’m the type of person who listens to Christmas music and has the tree up from November onwards. Dublin can be quite gloomy during winter months and I’m so grateful for all the glittery lights that now dress so nicely the Irish capital. One of the things I love most about the winter holidays is the cooking as I start planning the feast weeks in advance. Discovering new flavours and food pairings to present to my friends and family is priceless for me.

But still… there is something that everyone is looking forward so much during Christmas. It’s sweet, warming, sometimes heavy, but always leaving you feel so good… it’s the Christmas dessert!

I feel like cooking is a strength of mine while I’m still learning how to bake. My mom is a great baker and even has neighbours, friends and other family members asking her to bake for their celebrations. She’s the first person I’m calling whenever I bake something new. One of my goals this year was to find my signature cake and I believe I found it in a lemon cake recipe I will post next month. I’m one try away to perfect my own spin on the lemon cake, but more on this later.

These Sugar Christmas Cookies are easy to bake even for the non-experienced baker or for the family who is looking to bake & decorate cookies during the holidays. It has only 3 ingredients (flour, vegan butter and sugar)! I included a couple of ways to spice up the recipe if you’re looking for different flavors besides different icing. Next year I will work on a more nutritional rich recipe, such as cookies made of spicy gingerbread dough or a cacao winter berries one. But for now, enjoy this easy recipe and have fun during the holiday season.

We wish you the happiest holidays where you’ll make some space for gratitude and setting intentions for 2020! We’re so thrilled for what 2020 will bring and so grateful for all the amazing stories that happened in 2019. Thank you for all your support!

Christmas Sugar Cookies

Instructions:

• Mix the vegan butter and the sugar until you obtain a buttercream.

• Add the flour and make it into a dough.

• Add 1-2 tbs flour if needed until the dough is not sticking to your fingers.

• Refrigerate the dough for a min of 30min (you can leave it safely in the fridge overnight).

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

• Add greaseproof sheets to a baking tray. Take the dough out of the refrigerator and split it in 2. Sprinkle some flour on the table and spread a thin layer of dough using a rolling pin (it should have the height of a raisin). Make sure the dough is not sticking to the table.

• Use cookie cutters to shape any decor you prefer. Bake the biscuits for about 10-12min, turning them halfway, until they are golden. Let them dry completely before starting to decorate them with icing.

Ingredients (for 30 biscuits)*:

• 200 gr vegan butter (or margarine)

• 300 gr plain flour (feel free to use gluten-free)

• 130gr caster sugar

Icing:

• 1 cup icing sugar, 2-3 tablespoons of dairy free milk**

*I also added almond flakes and vanilla paste to one batch and walnuts and orange zest to another one.

**I also used vegan sprinkles, dried oranges, cranberries. Feel free to use whatever you have around the kitchen, these cookies are your canvas!)