Citrus Sugar Cookies With Royal Icing

Ingredients

For the Vegan Sugar Cookies:

• 3/4 cup vegan butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 teaspoons vegan egg replacer powder whisked with 1/4 cup warm water
• 3 teaspoons citrus extract or citrus zest
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the Icing:

• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon citrus extract or citrus zest
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice (substitute white vinegar for other flavors)
• 1/2 teaspoon 100 percent food grade soy protein for molecular gastronomy
• 2 cups powdered sugar

To Make the Vegan Sugar Cookies:

1. Prepare the cookies by whisking together room temperature vegan butter with sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg replacer and extract.
2. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix together, until combined. Refrigerate the dough for at least one hour before proceeding.
3. Roll out the dough 1/2-inch thick or roll it thinner for a crispier cookie.
4. Cut into desired shapes and bake at 400°F for 6-8 minutes, or until slightly golden brown on the bottom. You’ll need to check for this while the cookies are baking.
5. Place the cookies on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

To Make the Royal Icing:

1. While the cookies are cooling, prepare the royal icing by beating together water, lemon juice, extract, and 100 percent soy protein.
2. Slowly add powdered sugar and whisk until desired consistency is reached.
3. Add food coloring, if desired, and mix. You can adjust consistency by adding more powdered sugar or water as necessary. The key here is to use thick icing for details and thinner icing for “flooding” (the base coat).
4. Allow the base coat of icing to dry for 1-2 hours before adding details. Allow the icing to dry completely for a minimum of 4-5 hours or overnight before serving.