Cranberry Orange Cookies with Drippy Orange Icing
It's not Wednesday, but here's some bonus Christmas Eve food blogging.
These used to be my favorite Christmas cookie, ever since my mom brought me some recipes that were in her local paper—the Monroe, Louisiana News-Star. She didn't make them; she liked to bake about as much as I like to change the oil in my car, but I did, and loved them.
This year I decided to veganize them, and the results are fantastic. As I suspected, the loss of an egg or two didn't affect the results at all—many times eggs are included in recipes because of tradition rather than taste or texture. I did use my flax egg substitute: 1 tablespoon of flax whisked with 1/4 cup water, then left to sit for 5 or 10 minutes while the rest of the ingredients are prepared. The cranberries are easily chopped in a food processor—a couple of whizzes and they're done.
So, if you have leftover cranberries or haven't yet made your Christmas cookies, try these. They're really as good as my daughter's photo makes them look. (And thanks to her for helping me out with the photography. What's the use of sending your daughter to the number two photo school in the country if she can't help you with your food pictures?)
Cranberry Orange Cookies with Orange Icing
1 cup non-hydrogenated margarine
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg substitute*
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
2 cups cranberries, chopped
3/4 cup pecans, chopped
Mix the margarine and sugars together until thoroughly combined, add egg substitute and orange juice; mix until well blended. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt, and add to sugar mixture. Add orange zest, cranberries, and pecans; mix well.
Drop by rounded tablespoons onto cookie sheets. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven 12 minutes until golden brown. Set aside to cool on wire racks.
Make icing: Combine 2 cups confectioners sugar, 3 tablespoons orange juice, and 1 teaspoon grated orange zest. Mix until blended. (Mixture should be pourable, but not too runny.) Drop by spoonfuls onto cooled cookies.
*Egg substitute: Combine 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds with 1/4 cup water. Let sit for 5 minutes until thickened.
