Holiday Sourdough Fruit Cake Cookies (WFPB Vegan)
Servings: 24 servings
Calories: 86kcal
A sourdough starter is a byproduct of maintaining the starter and otherwise would be thrown away. This dough is sticky and resting it overnight in the fridge is best. This action allows the flavors to mingle, the starter time to feed, and ensures that the cookies puff up nicely in the oven. Adding this resting step is a game changer especially when baking without eggs and oil.
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Equipment
- Sheet Pan
- Hand-held or Standing Mixer
Ingredients
- ¾ cup assorted dried candied fruit chopped
- ⅓ cup bourbon or apple cider or apple juice
- ½ cup applesauce
- ¾ cup light brown sugar packed or 1 cup coconut sugar
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1 chai seed egg
- ½ cup sourdough discard or active sourdough starter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour or wheat flour (see Note section)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup assorted raw nuts chopped
- ½ cup Royal Icing ir cookie sprinkles optional
Instructions
- Place dried fruit in a small saucepan and pour bourbon or apple cider over. Simmer for 1 minute then turn off. Let fruit plump in liquid and cool while you make the dough.
- You can use a stand mixer, handheld mixer, or a whisk to combine applesauce and sugar until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add orange zest and beat until incorporated. Then add chai egg, sourdough starter, and vanilla. Beat well, pausing once to scrape the bowl.
- Sift together dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in batches while beating on low speed. Wait until flour mixture is mostly incorporated before adding more. Stop when ingredients come together and flour is absorbed; try not to over-mix.
- Remove bowl from stand and carefully fold in nuts and fruit along with 1 tablespoon of fruit cooking liquid. Cover bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375°. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. With a medium cookie scoop or tablespoon, create dough balls about 3 tablespoons each. Roll between your hands and place on prepared baking sheets. If not planning to frost, top with cookie sprinkles or decorations.
- Bake cookies for 10-13 minutes until bottom edge is a light golden brown. Tops will remain light in color but should appear dry. Let sit on baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to cooling racks.
- Optional: If planning to frost, combine 1 cup powdered sugar with 1 tsp water. Add additional water until you reach the constancy desired for a piping bag, spreading with offset spatual or dipping.
Notes
Note: Whole wheat flour absorbs more liquid than all-purpose (AP) flour due to its higher bran and germ content. The bran and germ in whole wheat flour are rich in fiber and nutrients but also have a drying effect on the flour. If you're substituting whole wheat flour for all-purpose flour, you may need to increase the liquid content in your recipe by an additional 2 to 4 tablespoons of liquid per cup of whole wheat flour. This helps ensure that the dough or batter has the right consistency. Conversely, if you're using all-purpose flour instead of whole wheat flour, you might need slightly less liquid. n
Nutrition
Calories: 86kcal
