Vegan, Sugar-Free Snowball Cookies
A good friend of mine Sejal told me about Flora’s Vegan margarine. In December I was curious to see the impact a Vegan diet would have on my sporting activities so I purchased a tub so I didn’t feel lack. In Pick n Pay a tub costs around R35.
I used it sparingly but when I broke my vegan fast I started to experiment with it in my baking. The results have amazed me every time.
Most baking guru’s swear by butter if you want a moorish, light, crumbly biscuit texture. I also prefer butter but after trying this margarine, I’m a convert.
I’ve made this recipe with both Woolworth’s gluten-free flour mix and Spelt flour. Both came out equally delicious.
Did you know: Snowball cookies are very popular over Christmas. It’s also known as butterballs, Mexican w wedding cakes, biscochitos and Russian tea cake, Napolean Hats, Moldy Mice, Finnish butter strips, Swedish tea cakes, and melting moments. All come in different shapes, mainly round and crescent, but have the same ingredients.
Ingredients
1/2 cup Vegan Flora Margarine
1/4 cup Woolworths Xylitol icing sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
1 cup Spelt Flour
1/2 cup walnut nibs
Pinch of salt
Method
Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees.
Spray or line a large baking sheet with parchment.
Using a mixer, cream margerine and sugar together until fluffy.
Add, sugar, vanilla and salt.
In another bowl, stir flour and nuts together. Divide into four portions and add into the butter mixture one portion at a time. Beat well after each addition.
The mixture will form a wet dough. Scrape the sides down with a spatula.
Let dough rest for 20 minutes in the fridge, longer if it's not firm enough. (I covered the bowl with cling wrap)
Roll 1 tbsp of dough into balls and place on your baking sheet, two fingers apart from each other. This cookie will expand slightly during baking so don't be tempted to roll them any bigger.
Bake for 15-18 minutes.
Remove cookies from the baking sheet and let it cool for 2 minutes on a wire rack. While warm, roll them in powdered Xylitol icing sugar. Place them back on the wire rack.
When they’re completely cooled, roll the cookies in more powdered sugar and store in an airtight container.
