V-Day treats

Jason has been gone for almost two weeks. Even though I didn't have anyone but myself to ply with Valentine's Day treats, last night I made a veganized version of the heart cookies my mom always made when I was growing up.

I figure I have bags of flour and sugar that I have to use up before the big move, and what better way to do that than to bake it into something delicious?

The only problem was that for some reason I don't have a heart-shaped cookie cutter--so I had to use a star-shaped one. Oh well. They taste the same.*

I was in the mood for cooking yesterday, so I made myself a batch of black bean and corn tofu scramble for breakfast. Today I reheated a bowl of that, and capped it off with a vanilla latté... and cookies. Yuuuummm... Hey, at least I had some real breakfast before I started stuffing my face with cookies, right?

Martha Dixon Cut Out Cookies - Veganized
(Martha Dixon had one of the first cooking shows on WJIM Channel 6 TV in Lansing, Michigan--my family members use a lot of her recipes. She was a dietitian at the Homestead Hotel Resort on Lake Michigan and later served as food service supervisor at the Kellogg Center at Michigan State University. [source])

1 cup vegetable shortening (you can also use vegan margarine--we use a combination)
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. soy milk
2 1/2 cups flour (reserve some for rolling out dough)
1 tsp. almond extract (or just use 2 tsp. vanilla extract)
dash salt

Mix by hand, roll dough out on floured pastry cloth or mat and cut with cookie cutter. Place on greased cookie sheet or use a silicone baking mat. Bake in 325 degree oven for 14-18 minutes depending on thickness.

Vegan Frosting

1/2 cup vegan margarine
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
4 cups confectioner's sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. vanilla soy milk (or plain--whatever you have)
red food coloring for pink frosting (or whatever color you like)

Using a hand mixer, cream the vegan margarine. Add the shortening and continue to mix. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined. The frosting should be stiff. Spread onto cooled cookies with a knife.

* If you close your eyes. And thirteen orders of fries. Is that it here? Wine and beer!**
** Sorry. I couldn't help myself.