Holiday Treats Make Life More Sweet

Delicate and elegant, these have a bit of a citrusy flavor twist. If the cookies are to be presented as part of a holiday collection, be sure to house them in small paper cups. The recipe uses 2 to 3 medium limes.

COCONUT-LIME THAI SNOWBALLS

For the dough:

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups flour

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (medium shred)

For the coating:

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (medium shred)

1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest

2 tablespoons cornstarch, sifted

Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

For the dough: Combine the butter and sugar in the large bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand-held electric mixer); beat on medium speed for about 4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the lime juice and beat to combine. Stop the motor and fold in the lime zest, salt, flour and coconut, mixing well.

Lightly flour your hands and roll the dough between your palms into 1-inch balls. Place the balls about 1 inch apart on the baking sheets (the cookies will spread slightly); bake for about 15 minutes or until the cookies are puffy but not browned; the bottoms will be just golden. Cool on the baking sheets for no more than 5 minutes.

For the coating: Meanwhile, combine the coconut, confectioners' sugar, lime zest and sifted cornstarch in a quart- or gallon-size resealable plastic food storage bag. While the cookies are still warm, add 3 to 4 to the bag at a time and toss to coat evenly. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

When ready to serve, sprinkle additional confectioners' sugar and lime zest atop each cookie, if desired.

Makes 36 to 48 cookies.

(per cookie, based on 48) 82 calories, 1 gram protein, 9 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams fat, 3 grams saturated fat, 10 milligrams cholesterol, 13 milligrams sodium, 0 dietary fiber

Source: adapted from "The Great Big Butter Cookbook"

Rummy, nutty and chewy, these would be delicious even without the icing, which adds sweetness and a second punch of rum flavor. Rum extract, which contains a trace of the alcohol found in rum, or apple cider can be substituted for the rum.

RUMNOG PECAN COOKIES

For the cookies:

1/3 cup canola oil

1/4 cup soy or rice milk

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon molasses

2 tablespoons dark rum

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, plus more for garnish (optional)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups coarsely chopped pecans

For the icing:

2 tablespoons nonhydrogenated vegan margarine, at room temperature

2 cups confectioners' sugar, plus more as needed

2 tablespoons soy milk, soy creamer or rice milk

2 tablespoons dark rum

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Nutmeg or colored sugar sprinkles, for garnish (optional)

Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

For the cookies: Combine the oil, soy or rice milk, sugar, molasses, rum and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl; beat at medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes or until slightly foamy. Stop the motor and use a fine-mesh strainer to sift in the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. Mix well on low speed until a soft dough forms.

Place the chopped pecans on a flat plate or piece of wax paper on a work surface. Roll the dough into walnut-size balls (about 1 heaping tablespoon) and then roll them in the nuts; if the dough is a little too soft to roll, drop the balls one at a time onto the nuts and then roll (the dough will firm up slightly as it sits). Place the balls 2 inches apart on the baking sheets; bake 1 sheet at a time for about 10 to 14 minutes or until the cookies have puffed a bit and do not look raw. Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the icing: Beat the margarine at medium speed in the bowl of a stand mixer for 3 minutes, until it is smooth and creamy. Stop the motor and add the confectioners' sugar; use a fork to combine. On low speed, add the soy milk, soy creamer or rice milk, the rum and the vanilla extract; increase the speed to medium or medium-high and beat until the consistency of butter-cream icing is achieved. Spread 1 teaspoon or more of icing on each cooled cookie; sprinkle with nutmeg or colored sprinkles, if desired. Allow the icing to become firm before storing the cookies. Makes 24 cookies.

217 calories, 2 grams protein, 29 grams carbohydrates, 11 grams fat, 1 grams saturated fat, 0 cholesterol, 102 milligrams sodium, 1 gram dietary fiber

Source: adapted from "Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook"