The Mischievous Vegan: Lavender Snickerdoodles1

By Malloreigh

If there’s anything that’s legitimized veganism among the masses lately it’s been the explosive popularity of vegan baking. A vegan cupcake baker won Food Network’s Cupcake Wars, and Isa Chandra Moskowitz’ pair of cookbooks featuring rich, delicious vegan cookie and cupcake recipes have been a success with vegans and non-vegans alike.

That said, even if it weren’t for the sudden boom in the acceptability of vegan baking, this cookie recipe would still be a hit. The delicate flavor of lavender flowers gives this a particularly grown-up taste, but even without the floral hints, these cookies are gobbled up in record time no matter where I bring them. I think the relatively small amount of sugar makes them feel guiltless to eat.

Bonus side note: I came up with the idea of combining the flavors of lavender and cinnamon sugar while showering. My soap smells like snickerdoodles and my facial exfoliant is scented with lavender oil. The combination was surprisingly exciting.

Make this recipe your own by using one of the several adjustments I’ve left room for in the recipe, as follows.

Note on egg substitutes: There are many different substitutes you can use, from ground flaxseed to psyllium husk to applesauce to mashed banana. Each of these will impart their own taste and properties on to the cookies. I prefer ground flaxseed because it’s nutritious and doesn’t make my cookies taste like bananas. For each flaxseed egg, combine one teaspoon ground flaxseed with three tablespoons liquid – juice or water – in a separate small bowl or measuring cup. Whisk it together with a fork and add it all at once.

Vegan Lavender Snickerdoodles

• 11/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cups granulated sugar (I used slightly under a half-cup – this is my general trick for less guilty cookies)
• 1 teaspoon lavender flowers, dried and crushed (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, or a combination of 2 teaspoons of different extracts – I like to use almond extract combined with vanilla
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup, agave nectar, or brown rice syrup
• 1 egg substitute (I use 1 tsp ground flaxseed whisked with a scant 3 tbsp)

apple juice or water)

• Cinnamon sugar mixture to coat

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix wet ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix together until an even dough forms.

Cover the bowl and set it in the refrigerator for half an hour.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Roll one-inch cookie dough balls in the cinnamon sugar mixture and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten each with a fork.

Bake for 6 – 7 minutes. Watch closely – you want the cookies to be golden but soft. They take exactly 6 minutes in my oven but have taken 8 – 10 in someone else’s.

Makes 20 cookies, give or take, depending on how much dough you eat.