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Chef Linda
Linda Soper-Kolton, Chef, came to the Sanctuary as a guest chef to share her love of compassionate cooking in our then-fledgling culinary program. Lured by the magic of the Sanctuary, her love of animals and the urgency of our mission, Linda stayed on to lead and grow the culinary program, inspiring and educating with love, patience, and delicious food.
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Gingerbread People

By Chef Linda

Gingerbread cookies are really a personal thing. Some like theirs hard and crunchy, others like them soft and chewy. I thought it was hard to please everyone until I made this recipe and realized, it all comes down to the cookie cutter you use. I made extra-large cookies that stayed a little softer and a bunch of small ones that gave the crunch that some prefer. Choose your weapon.

I found that veganizing this recipe wasn't difficult, though I did try to substitute the butter with coconut oil first and wasn't crazy about the results. They tasted fine but these little guys have a reputation to worry about so they need to hold their shape and look their best and coconut oil produced a cookie that spread more than I wanted it to and had an uneven texture. I definitely had success when I substituted vegan butter (Earth Balance Buttery Sticks) for dairy-based butter. Worked like a charm. To replace the egg, I used a little coconut cream for richness. The recipe already called for baking soda and baking powder as leavening ingredients to help the cookie puff up a little bit so we didn't lose anything without the egg. You can dress up these gingerbread people by decorating them with Vegan Royal Icing (recipe below) or leave them plain. 

Big or small, crunchy or soft, dressed or buff, it wouldn't be a holiday season without a big batch of these Gingerbread People to pass around.

Ingredients

 3 cups flour
 2 tsp ground ginger
 2 tsp ground cinnamon
 ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
 ¼ tsp ground cloves
 1 tsp baking soda
 ½ tsp baking powder
 ¼ tsp fine salt
 6 tbsp vegan butter (I used Earth Balance sticks)
 ½ cup brown sugar, packed
 ¾ cup unsulphured molasses
 3 tbsp canned coconut cream
 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Vegan Royal Icing
 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
 3 tsp unsweetened non-dairy milk
 2 tsp corn syrup

Directions

1

In a large bowl, mix together flour, spices, baking soda and powder, and salt. Set aside.

With a stand or handheld mixer, cream together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add molasses, coconut cream, and vanilla; mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Turn dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap, wrap tightly and refrigerate for about an hour. Make in advance and refrigerate overnight, if possible, or chill for several hours before using.

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line two baking trays with parchment paper. Lightly flour a clean surface and place unwrapped dough on it. Working in portions, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Using cookie cutters, cut into shapes and place 1 inch apart on prepared baking trays.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges appear slightly darker. Be careful not to over bake; it’s difficult to see browning because the dough is dark from the molasses. Cool on the trays for a couple of minutes before carefully moving to wire racks. Decorate with Vegan Royal Icing or eat as is.

To make Vegan Royal Icing, mix together all ingredients in a small bowl. Add more sugar to thicken or non-dairy milk to thin, if necessary. Scoop into a pastry bag with a small round tip or use a ziplock baggie with a very small piece of the corner cut off.

Notes

Gingerbread People
IngredientsDirections

Gingerbread People

DifficultyModerateCook Time10 mins
YIELDS
24 (5-inch) cookies

gingerbread people
INGREDIENTS

 3 cups flour
 2 tsp ground ginger
 2 tsp ground cinnamon
 ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
 ¼ tsp ground cloves
 1 tsp baking soda
 ½ tsp baking powder
 ¼ tsp fine salt
 6 tbsp vegan butter (I used Earth Balance sticks)
 ½ cup brown sugar, packed
 ¾ cup unsulphured molasses
 3 tbsp canned coconut cream
 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Vegan Royal Icing
 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
 3 tsp unsweetened non-dairy milk
 2 tsp corn syrup

DIRECTIONS

1

In a large bowl, mix together flour, spices, baking soda and powder, and salt. Set aside.

With a stand or handheld mixer, cream together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add molasses, coconut cream, and vanilla; mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Turn dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap, wrap tightly and refrigerate for about an hour. Make in advance and refrigerate overnight, if possible, or chill for several hours before using.

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line two baking trays with parchment paper. Lightly flour a clean surface and place unwrapped dough on it. Working in portions, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Using cookie cutters, cut into shapes and place 1 inch apart on prepared baking trays.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges appear slightly darker. Be careful not to over bake; it’s difficult to see browning because the dough is dark from the molasses. Cool on the trays for a couple of minutes before carefully moving to wire racks. Decorate with Vegan Royal Icing or eat as is.

To make Vegan Royal Icing, mix together all ingredients in a small bowl. Add more sugar to thicken or non-dairy milk to thin, if necessary. Scoop into a pastry bag with a small round tip or use a ziplock baggie with a very small piece of the corner cut off.

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