When I was a little girl, I used to love to visit the local bakery with my mom. There were two cookies that we especially loved to buy and eat, ginger cookies and imperial cookies!

I have never, until now, attempted to make my own imperial cookies at home, although it has been a recipe idea I’ve held in my mind for years.

I decided that I would make these with the kids as a Valentine’s recipe that I would share on the blog. ❤ I switched out the white flour for whole wheat flour to add fibre and nutrients but kept the sugar in this one so it is most like how an imperial cookie should be, a decadent, sugary treat!

Imperial Cookies

Makes 15 cookies

Ingredients

• 4 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• pinch of fine sea salt
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 cup vegan margarine
• 1 cup cane sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 cup ground flax seed
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 cup double fruit raspberry jam

Icing

• 1 1/2 cups organic icing sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 tablespoons warm water

Directions

1. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and cream of tartar in a small mixing bowl and set aside.

2. Whisk together the ground flax seed and warm water together in a small dish and set aside to let thicken to make flax eggs.

3. Cream together the margarine, sugar, vanilla extract and flax eggs in a medium mixing bowl.

4. Add the flour mixture to the margarine/sugar mixture and mix to combine.

5.  Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 4 cookie sheets with parchment paper. You may choose to chill the dough for 30 mins to an hour or simply roll it out carefully with a non-stick rolling pin onto a large surface. You may also need a sprinkling of flour on the table and rolling pin.

6. Cut the dough with 2-1/2 inch circle cookie cutters or use a drinking glass.

7. Continue to roll and cut the dough to make 15 circles and 15 circles with heart shapes cut through the centres.

8. Bake the cookies, 2 trays at a time for 10 minutes. Cookies are ready when very slightly golden.

9. Allow to cool completely and while they are cooling, make the icing.

10. Combine the icing sugar, almond extract and warm water together in a small bowl.

11.  Spoon 1 tablespoon of jam into each of the bottom cookies. 

12. Using a butter knife or the back of a teaspoon, ice the cookies with the heart cut outs, being careful to not get the icing too close to the heart shape center as the icing will drip and the heart shape may end up looking more like just a circle.

13. Place the iced cookies on top of the jam bottom cookies.

14. Repeat to make 15 cookies in total. Store in containers in the fridge or freezer.

I hope that you enjoy this recipe! Let me know if you give it a try by leaving a comment below or tag your photo on Instagram #livelearnloveeat

Happy Valentine’s Day! ❤

 

Tiffany