We love minimalist baking, so the fact that this recipe calls for just a few staple pantry ingredients makes it one of our favorites. It’s also a fun project to do with kiddos. Use their little thumbs to make the cookie indent, and help them put a dollop of preserves in the middle. Food is fun!
Yield: 40 cookies
Prep time: 40 minutes | Cook time: 17 minutes | Total time: 57 minutes
You’ll need: an electric mixer
1 cup vegan butter, at room temperature
⅔ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
Up to 6 teaspoons water, if needed
½ cup fruit preserves (we like raspberry best, but any will work)
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease baking sheets or line with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
2. In a large bowl, beat the vegan butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the almond and vanilla extracts and beat to combine. Add the flour ½ cup at a time, beating until the dough is well mixed. This will create a crumbly-looking dough that you should be able to mold together with your hands. If the dough is too crumbly to hold together, add water 1 teaspoon at a time until a more pliable dough forms (it should still look slightly crumbly).
3. Fill a tablespoon (or similarly sized cookie scoop) with dough, flattening the dough on top. Using your finger, push out the dough, domed side up, and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the dough pieces 1 inch apart. Using the back of a teaspoon, make a small dent in the middle of each dome of cookie dough. Spoon 1 teaspoon of preserves into the dent on each cookie.
4. Bake for 16 to 17 minutes. Allow to cool on the pan for 30 minutes.
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