These shortbreads are coconutty and taste really buttery even though they are dairy free. I love them with a coffee or crunched up on ice cream. No one will ever know they are vegan unless you tell them, and toasting the coconut makes the flavour even more delicious.

Try making them with kids, as they are easy to make and good fun to stamp out into shapes.

Recipe:

Makes about 24 depending on the size of your cookie cutter .

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of coconut oil (soften at room temperature) or butter if you eat dairy
1/2-3/4 cup of brown sugar or coconut sugar depending on how sweet you like them
1 1/2 cups of flour (I use spelt)
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of desiccated coconut
Coconut chips (optional)

How:

Firstly heat the oven up to 180c (350f).

Next, tip the desiccated coconut into a pan and toast till starting to brown, allow to cool.
Mix the vanilla, coconut oil and sugar together in a big bowl. Then add the salt, flour and toasted desiccated coconut and mix together to form a dough. If it is too soft to roll out, place it in the fridge for a few minutes or until a bit firmer.
Prepare a baking tray by lining the bottom with a sheet of grease proof paper or a silicon sheet.

Roll out the dough on a floured board or press into a flat shape with your palms. It should be about the thickness of three pennies. Stamp out the dough with a cookie cutter and with a knife, carefully slide it under each biscuit and place on the baking tray. If using coconut chips, damp them slightly with a bit of water on the underside and gently press them on to the top of each of the shortbread.

Bake for about ten minutes until they are very very slightly golden, the cooking time is dependent on the size of the cookie cutter. Leave to cool on the tray as they harden up when cool. Delicious served with tea or coffee or on the side of a bowl of ice cream. They will keep for up to a week in an airtight tin.

I shop at:
Waitrose
Sainsbury’s
Tesco
Lidl