Holiday Cookies: Gingerbread and Bourbon Spice

I've been making cookies like mad lately...It's one of the few things I like about the holidays this time of year...I get to make tons of cookies and pawn them off on people. Yesterday I sent a friend some Cinnamon Roll Cookies and today I sent my grandma some gingerbread and bourbon spice cookies. And I still have many more batches to make! I took both varieties to work today and was (unfortunately jokingly) told that I was the new favorite and I will get paid double. And then before I could respond, someone said, "Why doesn't jac make chocolate chip cookies?" and another person said "Cause she's vegan" and yet another person jumped in with "Chocolate isn't meat, stupid." And I actually ended up saying nothing and just laughing to myself. (So next time I will obviously be bringing chocolate chip cookies.)

The gingerbread cookies are Chloe Coscarelli's Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies which actually look nothing like her picture, but are still delicious and chewy nonetheless. My dough seems to have turned out more moist than hers and therefore my cookies are flat and not dome shaped as hers appear to be. Also, my sugar coating was pretty much invisible. But this recipe was supereasy and quick to make. I would suggest only baking six at a time though, as 12 spread into each other in my first batch.

The bourbon spice cookies have a few more steps, but are worth it. You could probably call these eggnog cookies, as they have eggnog spices and bourbon, but "Bourbon Spice" is a little more pompous and alluring to me. And people seem to get excited about anything containing alcohol..

Bourbon Spice Cookies

3/4 cup Earth Balance Buttery Spread

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon molasses

2 teaspoons powdered egg replacer + 3 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon vanilla extract.

2 tablespoons bourbon or American whisky

Place Earth Balance in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Whisk often for 5 minutes or until margarine reduces and begins to darken. Remove from heat and let cool. (I did this step while making the gingerbread cookies so the margarine would have time to cool.)

Preheat the oven to 350 and grease and prepare a baking sheet. (I usually use parchment paper, but if you notice in the pictures, today I used foil and had no qualms about it.)

Mix flour, baking soda and spices together in a bowl and set aside. In another bowl, beat together the margarine and sugars. Beat in molasses, egg replacer+water, vanilla and bourbon. Add the dry ingredients and beat until just incorporated. 

Let dough rest for 15 minutes. It should firm up some. Scoop heaping tablespoon sized balls of dough and place several inches apart on prepared baking sheet. (I got 6 to a sheet) Bake for 10-12 minutes until cookies barely look done on the edges. They will be puffy, crackled and gooey looking when you take them out of the oven. Let cool 5 minutes on pan and gently slide parchment or foil to cooling rack or counter to continue cooling.

Enjoy!