
FIRST PLACE: Chocolate-Dipped Almond Cranberry Shortbread Cookies {Recipe}
Our first-place cookie pairs an irresistibly buttery shortbread cookie with rich chocolate for a winning combination.
Makes 15 cookies
What You Need:
For the cookies:
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup vegan butter, chilled and cut into cubes
½ teaspoon almond extract
¼ cup slivered almonds, finely chopped
¼ cup dried sweetened cranberries, coarsely chopped
For the chocolate coating:
1 tablespoon coconut oil
½ cup vegan chocolate chips
¼ cup slivered almonds, chopped
What You Do:
1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. For the cookies, into a medium bowl, sift together flour, sugar, and salt. Add vegan butter, and mix together by hand until pea-sized crumbs forms. Add almond extract, almonds, and cranberries and mix to combine.
3. Using your hands, form the dough into a ball. Onto a floured surface, place dough, sprinkle with more flour, and roll out to ¼-inch-thick. Use circular cookie cutter (about three inches diameter) to cut out even circles, and place onto baking sheet. Roll excess dough together and repeat until no dough remains.
4. Bake cookies for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown. Let sit on baking sheet for one minute and then transfer to a wire rack to let cool completely.
5. For the chocolate coating, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Into a saucepan, add coconut oil and chocolate chips and melt together over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth.
6. To assemble, dip half of each cookie into melted chocolate, place onto baking sheet, and sprinkle with almonds.
Second Place: Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Cream Pies by Mary-Kate Lynch
Third Place: Dirty Chai Sugar Cookies by Amy McDonough
Click here for the 2017 VegNews Holiday Cookie Contest Finalists. And for even more amazing holiday cookies, check out the 2015 VegNews Holiday Cookie Contest and 2012 VegNews Holiday Cookie Contest winners.
Photo by Hannah Kaminsky
Friends Open Eatery Inspired by Impossible Burger
Monty's Good Burger will open at the Riverside Foodlab in California's Inland Empire with a menu structured around the Impossible Burger.
Read More »
Vegan Black & White Sushi Rolls {Recipe}
With color-contrasting rice, electric-pink pickled turnips, and verdant avocado, these rolls are as appetizing to the eyes as they are to the tastebuds.
Read More »
Vegan Cashew Ricotta Stuffed Shells {Recipe}
Thanks to creamy cashew ricotta, enjoying this classic dish has never been easier.
Read More »
Vegan Overnight Apple Ginger Muesli {Recipe}
Creamy-dreamy, sweet-and-spicy muesli just became our new favorite on-the-go breakfast.
Read More »
You + Chia = Vegan Bliss
Sprinkling a little extra chia on all of your favorite dishes goes a long way.
Read More »
More Flashbacks
- Peach Cobbler Parfait with Whipped Caramel Sauce {Recipe}
- Cardamom Lemon Cream with Blackberries {Recipe}
- 4 Responses When Someone Asks Where You Get Your Protein
- Vegan Lemon Meringue Pie Tarts {Recipe}
- 7 Vegan Sandwich-and-Tea Pairings for a Spring Tea Party
- 5 Vegan Horchata-Flavored Sweets Were Craving
- Vegan Matcha Pudding {Recipe}
- A Vegan Bodybuilder's Guide to Getting All the Nutrients You Need
- Beefy Vegan Beet Burgers {Recipe}
- Make Your Veganism Easier With These 5 Meal-Planning Sites
- 10 Tools Every Vegan Kitchen Needs
- The 9 Best Vegan Passover Recipes
- 10 Vegan Easter Candies We Want To Find in Our Easter Basket
- Vegan Soft-Batch Sugar Cookies with Buttercream Frosting {Recipe}
- The Vegan Guide to Passover Seder
- The 5 Vegan Chefs Chloe Coscarelli Can't Get Enough Of
- Vegan Spring Tortilla Soup {Recipe}
- Vegan Pineapple Upside-Down Cake {Recipe}
- 5 Ways to Celebrate Spring with a Vegan Twist
- 7 Vegan Wine Pairings for Spring