Coconut Oil Sugar Cookies with Beetroot Colouring

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line a large baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper; set aside. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the coconut oil and powdered sugar on medium speed for 30-45 seconds, just until smooth. Add the almond milk, one tablespoon at a time, and mix until each tablespoon is incorporated (scraping down the sides as needed). Add the vanilla extract and mix until combined. Add the baking soda, sea salt, and 1 cup of the flour. Beat on medium speed for 10-15 seconds, until about half of the flour is incorporated, then add the remaining 1/3 cup and beat just until all the flour disappears. Press the dough with your fingertips, it should feel soft but retain its shape when moulded. If it feels too dough-y, add an additional tablespoon of flour and mix until combined. If it feels too dry, add an additional tablespoon of almond milk and beat until combined.

Since the texture of the dough changes when it sits for too long, we’re going to roll it out immideately. Line a flat surface with parchment paper and sprinkle (liberally) with flour. Roll the dough out until it’s 1/4″ thick. Using a 3″ heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut the dough 12 times and carefully transfer the pieces to the prepared baking sheet. You can re-roll the dough scraps, but the texture will not be the same (and they may even be too crumbly to roll). Transfer baking sheet to freezer and chill for 10 minutes (this helps the cookies to retain their shape while baking), then bake at 350˚F for 9-10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for five minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

While the cookies are cooling, prepare the icing. For this method, we’re going to use a piping bag fitted with a 2 point tip (to line the cookies) and then we’ll be using a squirt bottle (to flood them). If you don’t have/can’t find piping bags, snag an extra squirt bottle for the lining process. Or just drizzle the icing over the cookies.

Prepare the magenta icing by mixing together the beet powder and 1 teaspoon of the warm water. Add the powdered sugar and the remaining water, and mix until the sugar is combined (it should thicken considerably). Add the agave syrup and whisk just until combined. For the white icing, whisk together the water and powdered sugar, then whisk in the agave syrup.

Piping: Transfer about 1/3 of each icing mixture to a piping bag fitted with a 2 point tip and then outline each cookie. Allow the icing to harden for about 10 minutes. Squeeze any icing remaining in the bag back into the bowl and whisk to remove any pieces that may have hardened. Dilute with warm water in 1/4 teaspoon increments. When you lift the spoon to drizzle the icing in the bowl, it should disappear and sink into the other icing within three seconds. You shouldn’t need to add more than 1/2 teaspoon of water to reach this consistency. Transfer the flood icing to a squirt bottle and flood each cookie. Each recipe makes enough icing for 6-7 cookies, so don’t be too liberal with your flooding. If necessary, use the back of a spoon to spread the icing all over the cookie, careful not to bump the piped edges. Wait until you’ve flooded each cookie, then finish with raspberry or coconut sprinkles.