Chocolate Sugar Cookies with Candy Cane Frosting

Last year VegNews reader Celeste Hill won over VN staffers with her peppermint-glazed chocolate sugar cookie with a sprinkling of crushed candy canes, taking home top honors in the first annual Holiday Cookie Contest.

Makes 36 Cookies

What You Need:
2 cups sugar
1-1/2 cups vegan margarine
3 teaspoons egg replacer powder plus 4 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 teaspoons baking powder
4 tablespoons non-dairy milk, divided
3-1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1-1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
6 small or 2 large candy canes

What You Do:

1. For the cookies, in a large bowl, mix together sugar and margarine. In a small bowl, mix egg replacer and water. Combine egg replacer mixture with sugar mixture, and add vanilla, baking powder, and 1 tablespoon non-dairy milk. Mix well.

2. In a large bowl, combine wet ingredients with flour and cocoa powder. Separate dough into 3 sections, and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours or an hour in freezer.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough to 1/3-inch thick and cut out cookies with cookie cutters. Bake in oven 9 to 12 minutes. Transfer from pan to a cooling rack until completely cooled.

4. For the icing, in a medium bowl, whisk together peppermint extract, powdered sugar, and 3 tablespoons non-dairy milk. In a food processor or blender, crush candy canes into small pieces. Using a pastry brush, paint icing onto cooled cookies. Sprinkle crushed candy canes on top of icing.

Check out the other 2011 VegNews Holiday Cookie Contest Winners!
Second Place: Vegan Rugelach by Lisa Peterson
Third Place: Cinnamon & Chocolate Linzer Cookies by Jess Nadel
Honorable Mention: Soynog Whoopie Pies with Cinnamon-Chocolate Cream Cheese Topped with Chocolate Drizzle by Diana Chow