Almond macaroons is Feel free to use cranberries or raisins if you can’t find dried cherries.

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

⅛ teaspoon salt

⅔ cup granulated sugar

(increase to 1 cup if using unsweetened coconut)

½ cup plus 1 tablespoon

vegan butter substitute,

slightly softened but not at

room temperature

¼ cup lightly toasted slivered

almonds, finely ground in a

food processor (do not let them turn into a paste)

1½ tablespoons soy cream

cheese

¼ cup soymilk

½ teaspoon almond extract

2 ¼ cups shredded dried

coconut (sweetened or

unsweetened), as needed

¼ cup finely chopped lightly

toasted slivered almonds

Method 

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. In a separate large bowl, combine the sugar, vegan butter substitute, ground almonds, and soy cream cheese and beat with an electric mixer until blended.

Beat in the soymilk and almond extract.

Add the flour mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until evenly combined. Stir in the chopped almonds and 2 cups of the coconut.

Gather the dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 to 12 hours.

Chocolate-Coated Macaroons: Melt ⅓ cup nondairy chocolate chips and 2 teaspoons vegan butter substitute. Mix well. Drizzle in patterns over the cooled cookies.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and oil 3 baking sheets. Form the dough into 1-inch balls. Roll the balls in the remaining ¼ cup of coconut, if desired.

Place the balls on the prepared baking sheets about 3 inches apart. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned on the bottom and edges. Let cool on the baking sheets for 3 minutes. Transfer to a rack or a flat surface and let cool thoroughly. Store in a sealed container.