VEGAN RECIPE REVIEW: Shortbread Cookies

I had a recipe prepared to post about last week but when I started to type it out today, I realized I'd forgotten to take pictures! I took a picture of the ingredients (of which there were MANY) and the final product, but nothing else. Not super important, but for a recipe review, it makes sense to show the process.

Since I've been having a rough time this week mentally, I wanted to choose something super easy that I could knock out in an afternoon so that I could write the post before evening. And that's when I came across 'Gluten-Free Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies with only 3 Ingredients' (there are more words in the recipe name than are in the cookies!). You can find the recipe at The Conscious Plant Kitchen. (I'll link to it again at the end of the post.)

Something to keep in mind when people say that there are X number of ingredients in a recipe, they aren't counting the things that are everyday ingredients like salt, pepper, etc. This is one of those recipes. The very simple ingredients are: almond flour; maple syrup; coconut oil; salt; vanilla extract; and almond extract. It states that the salt, vanilla extract, and almond extract are optional. I can't imagine making these without those flavors! So I chose to use all three of them.

I had all of these things--always a bonus!--so I got started working on them right away. As far as the ingredients, the coconut oil, it specified to use refined coconut oil (so it's flavorless) and that you must use coconut oil or the cookies will be way too soft. Regardless, the recipe does say that the cookies are "slightly softer than regular shortbread cookies. They are vegan, gluten-free cookies made with wholesome ingredients, crispy on the outside and chewier in the center."

I *love* shortbread cookies, but I enjoy the dry, crumbly texture of them, so I was curious how these would compare.

This recipe couldn't be more simple...

Just measure the ingredients into a bowl:

Stir it up until it forms a ball:

Roll into balls about the size of a tablespoon:

Flatten each just a touch with a fork:

Bake and cool.

The verdict: Like all shortbread cookies, they aren't overly sweet or rich. They're light enough to eat the whole batch (and believe me, I was tempted). They were so good! I couldn't believe how good just a few ingredients can turn out to be.

I love almond extract and I could definitely taste that (or maybe it was the almond flour). I just think it tastes like maraschino cherries--yum! But anyway, the dominant flavor was almonds, which is just what you'd expect.

As far as the texture... I didn't even miss the crumbly texture of traditional shortbread cookies. I flattened some of them more than others to see if I could get them to crisp up (the recipe suggests that for crispier cookies, flatten them more). They all seemed to be the same in texture. 

The texture is similar to a chocolate chip cookie--a sort of crispy "skin" on the outside and then a chewier/fluffier center. Regardless, they were so good that they didn't last 10 minutes in our house. The boys housed them! Well, I saved a couple for my parents. As soon as we tasted them, all of our eyes got big and we immediately wanted more ;)  (FYI, I got 14 out of the batch.)

I brought one to each of my parents and they both really liked them, too! Remember when my dad told me the blondies I made tasted like meatloaf? Hahaha! Well, he liked this cookie enough to eat the whole thing and he didn't have a single complaint about it. 

This recipe was ABSOLUTELY a winner! I think you could serve these at a dinner party or potluck or something and nobody would ever question that they might be vegan. The recipe makes the perfect amount for a family of four--three rather smallish cookies each. I'm for sure going to make them again and maybe experiment with adding some coconut or dried cranberries.

Now go make some of these... you won't regret it! (Unless you eat the whole batch, then please don't blame me.)

The whole recipe can be found here: Vegan Shortbread Cookies at The Conscious Kitchen.