For vegan family and friends, vegan butter is a saviour in baking. “Shortbread is a simple ratio of 1 part sugar to 2 parts butter to 3 parts flour. The dough can also be used as a base in some sweet pie recipes, especially the kind where the pie base is cooked separately ahead of time, for a ‘no-bake’ filling to be added before serving. –Zacchary Bird
Vegan Shortbread Cookies
Zacchary Bird's surprisingly-easy, large-batch recipe for vegan shortbread cookies.
Ingredients
- 7 oz (200 g) vegan butter or shortening
- 3½ oz (100 g) icing sugar
- 10½ oz (300 g) 300 g all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 tsp fine salt
Instructions
- Using a large mixing bowl and a hand-held electric mixer, or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and icing sugar for 2 minutes or until well beaten. Sift in the flour and salt and continue to beat together until a dough forms.
- Turn the dough out onto a countertop and briefly knead with your hands to shape it into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 320°F (160°C) and line two baking trays with baking paper or silicone baking mats.
- On a floured surface, roll the dough out to a 1⁄2 in (1 cm) thick circle and use a 2 in (5 cm) wide cookie cutter of your choice to cut out cookies. Space the cookies on the baking tray and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly golden. Once cooled, the cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
