I’ll never forget my first Shirley Temple drink. I was about seven, and I went with my dad to visit his old childhood friend. This was a rare sort of outing because it was just me with none of my seven siblings along to compete for attention. I was given a Shirley Temple, and when that was done, I was given another, and then one more! I fell asleep on the way home drunk on happiness and sugar.

These cookies don’t give me quite the same feeling of bliss, but they are pretty good, and I can imagine they’d make some little girl or boy mighty happy, too.

– Linda Nelson

Vegan Shirley Temple Cookies

For the Cookies:

1/2 cup vegan butter
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350. Stir together the butter and oil in a large mixing bowl. Gradually add the powdered sugar, then stir in the zests, juices, and almond extract.
Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and mix until just combined. The dough will be somewhat thick.

Drop dough by the tablespoon onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the bottoms are golden and the cookies are firm.

Garnish with cherry butter cream made with 1/3 cup vegan butter, 1/3 cup shortening. Cream together, and gradually add 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar. When the sugar is mostly incorporated, add 1 tablespoon grenadine and one tablespoon maraschino cherry juice. Top with a cherry. You may also top with a fizzy, sour cherry candy as the recipe suggests. That didn’t sound good to me so I left it off!

Adapted from Cheers to Vegan Sweets