Favorite Egg-Free/Dairy Free Cut Out Cookies

INGREDIENTS

• 1 and 1/3 cup Crisco® Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening OR 1 and 1/3 stick Crisco® Baking Sticks Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening 
• 1 and 1/2 cup sugar 
• 2 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoon vanilla flavored soy milk (if you don't have an allergy, cow's milk works fine here)
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1/2 cup applesauce (this is your "1 large egg")
• 4 cups All Purpose Flour 
• 3 teaspoons baking powder 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

1. COMBINE shortening, sugar, milk and vanilla in bowl of electric mixer; beat at medium speed until well blended. Beat in applesauce.
2. COMBINE flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Mix into creamed mixture at low speed until well blended. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight. 
3. HEAT oven to 375ºF. 
4. ROLL out 1/2 dough at a time to about 1/4-inch thickness on lightly floured surface. Cut out with cookie cutters. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Sprinkle with colored sugars and decors or leave plain and frost when cooled. 
5. BAKE 11 to 13 minutes, or until set. Remove immediately to cooling rack. (*Lower the baking time to 7-10 minutes if you roll out your dough is 1/8-inch thickness-I like my cookies thicker, thus the longer baking time.)

No-Bake Cookies

This is one of my favorite recipes from my childhood. I have vivid memories of looking in the cake tupperware container that my Mother hid in the pantry on top of the griddle and sneaking a few out. I'd pop one in my mouth all at once to make sure I didn't leave any crumbs on the floor :-)

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk (I use goat milk for my allergic kid)
1/2 cup shortening (preferably Crisco Butter Flavored)
3 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups oats
1/2 cup nuts, chopped (I eliminate this for my allergic kid, but walnuts or pecans are delicious in these)
1 cup coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large pot, on medium-high, mix together sugar, milk, shortening, cocoa and salt.
2. Bring to a full boil.
3. Remove from heat.
4. Mix remaining ingredients in with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
5. Using a medium cookie scoop, drop onto wax paper and cool.

Oreo Truffles/Triple Chocolate Cookie Balls

INGREDIENTS:

OREO TRUFFLES
1 package (1 lb.) Oreo cookies
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, room temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 bag milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1-2 teaspoons shortening (just enough to thin chocolate chips for dipping)

OR

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE COOKIE BALLS
1 package (1 lb.) Oreo cookies
1 package (3.9 oz.) JELLO chocolate pudding
1/2 cup cold milk
1 bag milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1-2 teaspoons shortening (just enough to thin chocolate chips for dipping)

DIRECTIONS:

1. If doing the triple chocolate truffles, mix pudding and milk together. If doing the oreo truffles, skip this step.
2. Using a food processor, grind cookies to a fine powder. With a mixer, blend cookie powder, cream cheese and vanilla extract OR pudding until thoroughly mixed (there should be no white traces of cream cheese). Roll into small balls and place on wax-lined cookie sheet.
3. Refrigerate for 45 minutes or until firm. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
4. In double-boiler, melt milk chocolate and shortening. Dip balls and coat thoroughly. With slotted spoon, lift balls out of chocolate and let excess chocolate drip off. Place on parchment-lined cookie sheet. (TIP: Fill a small 3/4 cup size bowl half full to dip truffles. That way, if the truffle falls apart, you don't ruin all of your melted chocolate with bits of truffles. Additionally, use a baby spoon to dip the truffle.)
5. In separate double boiler, melt white chocolate. Using a fork, drizzle white chocolate over balls. Let cool.
6. Store in airtight container, in refrigerator.

Jody's Cut-Out Cookies

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon milk

Mix these ingredients together. Then stir in:

1 and 3/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Cook in a preheated 350 degree oven 8-9 and 1/2 minutes. If the cookie is golden on the edges, it's overdone.

Susie's Cut-Out Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups sugar
2 eggs
4 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter flavor shortening, melted
1 cup sour cream

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl cream together eggs and sugar.
2. In a separate bowl mix dry ingredients.
3. Alternately add dry mix, sour cream, and shortening to the creamed sugar and eggs; mix well.
4. It will look greasy, but that is okay. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Roll out the dough till its 1/2 inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.
5. Cool completely and frost with cream cheese frosting.
   

Cheree's Eggless Cut-Out Cookies

Note: This was adapted from Jody's Cut-Out Cookies

DO NOT DOUBLE THE RECIPE!! The water/oil/baking powder egg replacement will not work very well when doubling. These cookies will turn out flat if you double it.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup butter OR margarine, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
preferred egg substitute (see red text below)

The ingredients below are basically your "egg": 

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce, chilled (this is my preferred method, it comes out crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside) 

OR 

1 1/2 tablespoon water, 1 1/2 tablespoon oil; 1 teaspoon baking powder all mixed together 

OR 

equivalent of 1 egg of Ener-G egg replacer)

3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon milk (goat milk can be used here for those allergic to cow's milk)

1 3/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cream together margarine and sugar. Stir in additional wet ingredients. Add dry ingredients; mix well.
2. Preheat oven to 350.
3. Roll out dough on heavily floured board 1/4 inch thick. Cut out with cookie cutters. Place one inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake 10-15 minutes for cookies that measure 3" in diameter (if your cut out is smaller, lower the cooking time as you see fit). If the cookie is golden brown on the edges, it's overdone.

Yields 12, 3-inch size cut out cookies.

Cinnamon-Roasted Almonds by Kip Clark

Bake: 1 hour
Oven: 250ºF
Makes: Approximately 16 servings

INGREDIENTS:
1 egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cold water
4 cups whole almonds
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
   
2. Lightly grease a 10x15 inch jellyroll pan.
3. Lightly beat the egg white; add water and vanilla, and beat until frothy but not stiff.
   
4. Add the nuts, and stir until well coated.
   
5. Mix the sugar, salt, and cinnamon, and sprinkle over the nuts. Toss to coat, and spread evenly on the prepared pan.
6. Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, stirring occasionally, until golden. Allow to cool, then store nuts in airtight containers.