seen green

I originally made these mossy bunny sugar cookies for toppers for my carrot cake cupcakes (see that recipe here), but I realize that most people don’t have bunny cookie cutters lying around, so feel free to make any shape or size cookie that you want. The base cookie recipe is based off of one from the Little Cookie Co., who adapted another recipe, lol (see video here) I further adapted it to be vegan and was inspired by all the cute moss cookies I had seen over the interwebs during Easter time last year. I think most people use graham crackers as the mossy bits, but since you always have scraps from rolling out the cookie dough, I figured why not just use those. I think it works out pretty great.

Give these cuties a try and see what you think.

INGREDIENTS:

Cookies

• 300 g (2 1/2 C ) all-purpose flour ( you may not need all of the flour )

• 12 g ( 1 T ) cornstarch

• 113g ( 1/2 C ) vegan butter, unsalted (preferred), room temp.

• 50 g ( 1/4 C ) superfine or granulated sugar (organic, vegan-friendly)

• 110 g ( 1/2 C packed) light brown sugar

• 1/2 tsp. baking powder

• 3/4 tsp. kosher salt (I use Diamond, half the amount if using Morton)

• 1 T oil (neutral, I like grapeseed or vegetable)

• 2 T room temp water

• 1 T vanilla extract (pure)

Makes about 16 small-ish cookies without re-rolling, so feel free to double if you want a larger scale cookie.

Mossy Bits

• baked scraps from rolled out cookies ( see helpful notes )

• green food coloring ( gel recommended )

Easy Royal Icing

• 130 g ( 1 C ) icing/ powder sugar, sifted

• 2 tsp. light corn syrup

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

• 1- 2 T water

• 1/4 tsp. salt (if using table salt or Morton, use 1/8 tsp. *can leave out if using salted butter)

• food coloring ( gel recommended)

Vanilla Buttercream

• 226 g ( 1 C ) unsalted vegan butter (room temp- softened, but not melting)

• 400 g- 450 g ( 3 C - 3 1/2 C ) icing/ powder sugar, sifted

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

• 1-2 T plant milk or heavy cream

• 1/4 tsp. salt (if using table salt or Morton, use 1/8 tsp. *can leave out if using salted butter)

• food coloring ( gel recommended )

You will need:

• Stand mixer or hand mixer (it’s best to use a stand mixer for the cookies, but if you don’t have one, try using the dough hook of your hand mixer )

• Rolling pin

• Cookie cutter (s)

• Sillicon mat or parchment paper

• Large ziplock bag

• Plastic wrap ( for dough )

• Scale/measuring cups + spoons

• One large bowl (for flour)

• Sifter

• Medium size bowl (royal icing)

• Small bowls ( for coloring buttercream )

• Food processor ( you can smash the cookies in a plastic bag with a rolling pin if you don’t have one)

• Baking sheet

• Cooling rack

• Whisk + spatula

• Water or vodka (to thin out gel coloring for cookie moss)

• Piping bags + tips

• Toothpick or scribe (royal icing)

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

Products used:

• Americolor Gel Colors- There are more vegan-friendly gel color out there that are great, but this is my go to

• Flora Unsalted Butter- Miyoko’s is another go to fave

• King Arthur All Purpose Flour- you don’t have to use KA, but try to stay away from the bleached lot

• Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt- the chef’s salt…it’s less salty than table salt or Morton

• Piping Tips- small star for the flowers ( like a Wilton 17), Wilton 233 for the grass (if topping cupcakes)

Prep:

• Bring butter to room temp ( cookies + frosting)

• Sift flour

• Sift powder (icing) sugar

  
  

Helpful Notes:

Butter- Unless your recipe calls for melted or cold butter (some do), you’ll most likely want yours to be room temp. You know your butter is room temp when you can easily make an indent with your finger (eww, I know) or a spoon into the butter. It should be soft and pliable, but not runny and melty. If you forget to take the butter out to come to room temp, you can use the microwave, but it can be a bit tricky and go melty fast on you, especially vegan butter because it’s made of more water. Best to leave it out to soften naturally, but in a pinch, do short 10 second bursts in the microwave and flip the butter often so it does’t start to melt on one side. As for the type of butter, if you can’t find unsalted vegan butter, try reducing the salt in the recipe by 1/2 - it’s hard to say exactly because the amount of salt will very from butter to butter, but 1/2 is probably a safe bet.

Egg Replacement- I have never been a fan of using flax or chia as an egg replacer, although I do believe there is a time and a place for it. I used to use aquafaba (chickpea brine) which works well too, but I find that most times, a simple mixture of oil and water (or milk) works just as well for most cake and cookie recipes. My formula = 1 tablespoon of neutral oil + 2 tablespoons of water (or milk) = 1 egg.

Salt- Diamond Crystal Kosher is my preference, but if you use Morton or table salt, reduce the amount by half as Diamond is less salty than the two.

Sugar- to make sure it’s vegan, use organic as it does not use bone char (yes, it’s as bad as it sounds) in processing like conventional sugar.

Cornstarch- if you don't have, you can skip, but I think it gives these cookies a bit of lightness to the texture.

Measuring- Listen, just go ahead and get a scale! They’re cheap and the most accurate for baking. I use them to develop my recipes and do the best I can to convert to the cup measurements out of courtesy to those who don’t have one. But trust me, if you like to bake, it will be the best $20 dollars you spend to improve your recipes. If you still refuse, make sure that you use the scoop and level method to measure out your dry ingredients.

Mixing the Dough- Resist the urge to dump in all the flour at once- it’s best to go slow. Depending on what flour you are using and your butter, you may need less or more of it. So, I like to spoon in a little at a time until the dough becomes Play-Doh like in texture aka a bit squidgy. You will know you are about there when the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and the bowl is pretty clean.

Extra Flavoring- Vanilla is classic, but you can also add in other flavors and extracts to your dough, like almond or vegan-friendly butter flavor, or even cinnamon.

Cookies

Preheat oven to 350° F

Directions:

1. Mix room temp butter and sugars in a stand mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl and mix again until well combined- about another 2 minutes.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together oil and water to make your “egg” for the dough. Add to the butter and sugar, along with the vanilla extract and continue to mix until the mixture starts to lighten in color and gets a bit fluffy.

3. Add in salt, baking powder, and cornstarch and quickly mix to combine- about 20 seconds.

4. With the mixer on low speed, slowly spoon in the flour a little at a time. Remember, you are looking for a Play-Doh like texture (* see helpful notes *), so it is possible that you may not need all the flour (I typically do). So go slow cause it’s easier to add than take away.

5. When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a silicon mat or a piece of parchment paper. Form it into a ball and gently press all the pieces together. Use the palm of your hand to gently press the top of the ball down and form into a disk. If cracks form on the perimeter, just press the pieces back together and smooth.

6. Wrap the dough in some plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to rest- 30- 60 minutes.

7. When the dough has chilled, place back onto a gently floured mat or parchment to roll out.

8. Roll out the dough starting from the center and pushing away from you, then use the mat or parchment to turn the dough and roll out from the center again. Repeat this process of turning and rolling until the dough is even and about 1/8th inch thick. If the dough cracks while you are rolling, just press it back together and continue to roll. Don’t attempt to pick this dough up to turn it because it will break on you. Use the underlying parchment or silicon mat to help you maneuver the dough as needed.

9. Use your cookie cutter to cut out whatever shape you are using- if making for cupcake toppers, you need 12.

10. Set aside scraps from the rolled out cookies and either set aside or place on a second cookie sheet ( this is our moss! )

11. Place your cookies on a baking sheet and place in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes for the butter in the cookies to firm up a bit before baking.

12. After resting, place the cookies in the oven and bake 9-11 minutes (depending on size and shape) or until tops are smooth and slightly golden. If you have any bubbling (usually happens on dough that has been rolled out more that once) just use a offset spatula or a butter knife to gently run over the tops to smooth.

13. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes, then remove from sheet and place on a cooling rack until completely cooled.

14. Repeat with the cookie scraps.

    
    

    Cookie Moss

    Directions:

    1. When cookie scraps have cooled, place into a food processor and blend until you get finely chopped cookie bits. Alternatively, if you don’t have a food processor, place the scraps into a plastic ziplock bag and get all of the air out of it. Use your rolling pin to smash the scraps to get fine cookie bits.

    2. If you used a food processor, add the cookies to a ziplock bag. If you smashed the cookies in a ziplock bag, check for punctures and holes- if you have some, you may want to place them into a new bag.

    3. In a small bowl, add a few drops of green food coloring ( you may need more) and 1/2 teaspoon of water or vodka and mix/whisk together.

    4. With the cookie bits in a ziplock bag, add the food coloring and seal, removing in air so that the bag closes flat.

    5. Use your hands to smash and rub the cookie bits and coloring together until they are well coated in color- add more color until you get the desired effect, but don’t worry if there are a few pieces that are not fully green or if you have bigger clumps than when you started- the bits will get processed again after drying and that usually helps to distribute the color a bit more and break the pieces down to a finer chop.

    6. Remove the cookie bits from the bag and spread out evenly onto a cookie sheet to dry- 2 to 3 hours or you can leave overnight.

    7. When the bits are dry, throw them back in the food processor or smash with the rolling pin again to break up the larger clumps. Set aside.

    
    
    

Top Tip

royal icing is traditionally made with egg whites or meringue powder. But since this is a vegan recipe…yeah, no

Typically in a vegan or eggless royal icing recipe, the egg or meringue is replaced with aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas) and that works really well to get that traditional texture, but here’s the thing- you don’t have to do it. Let me explain…. In this recipe, we are not super concerned with the way the icing look or really, performs…. its’ just basically a tasty glue for our moss bits. Now, I would argue that even if we weren’t covering the icing with moss, this is a perfectly acceptable recipe for a vegan royal icing- you may just want use less water initially so that you can start out with a thicker icing for outlining. But with this recipe, I just really don’t think all that is necessary. I mean, I’m making you make frickin’ moss and pipe buttercream flowers for Pete’s sake! Really, you’re already doing enough.

A couple of notes on piping icing or buttercream-

• For the royal icing, it’s nice to have a toothpick or a scribe to help smooth out the icing and clean up any drips that might happen. Also, I usually have a few extra cookies that I have made so I will sometimes practice on them until I’m warmed up and get the flow of the icing.

• For buttercream, you can practice a couple of flowers on a napkin before you start on your cookies, if that helps ease your anxiety.

• It takes a lot of practice to be really good… probably more practice than you are willing to do (unless you’re interested in making decorative cookies or cakes as a career) and that’s ok! This is meant to be fun, so no pressure.

Royal Icing + Mossy Topping

Directions:

1. Add sugar, corn syrup, salt, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon of water to a medium-sized bowl and combine with a silicon spatula.

2. Stir the mixture until a smooth icing starts to form. If still thick, add more water until the mixture is glossy.

3. To check for the right consistency, run your spatula through the icing and time how long it takes to smooth out ( the line of the spatula no longer visible). You are looking for this to happen in about 10- 20 seconds because at this point, your icing is thin enough to flood your cookie, but thick enough to hold its shape.

4. Pour the icing into a small piping bag and secure at the top, tying in a knot or using a clip to keep the top closed.

5. Place the cookies on the rack over a baking sheet or parchment paper to catch any drips.

6. When you are ready to pipe, hold the bag between you thumb and index finger of your dominant hand, then use a pair of scissors to snip off a tiny bit of the tip of the piping bag.

7. With the bag perpendicular to the surface that you’re piping on, lightly squeeze out the icing, first tracing your cookie where you plan to have the moss, then filling (or flooding) the center with the icing. Use a toothpick or a scribe to smooth out the icing, then press the cookie ( icing side down) into the cookie moss- shake of any excess mossy bits.

8. If you have some bald spots, just sprinkle more moss over the top and gently press down.

9. Let the cookies dry an hour or two before moving on to your buttercream flowers ( if you choose to do them).

Vanilla American-Style Buttercream

Directions:

1. Place softened room temp butter in the bowl of your stand or hand mixer.

2. Mix on the lowest speed with the paddle attachment until the butter becomes smooth- about 2 minutes.

3. Add in sifted powder sugar ( I like to add half at a time) and mix on low until well combined and you buttercream has started to form. I typically use 400 grams as opposed to 450, but it depends on how sweet you like your buttercream and how you’re going to use it.

4. Add in salt, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon of milk. Mix on low for another minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and continue to mix another 1 to 2 minutes. If the buttercream is a little stiff, add another tablespoon of milk and mix again, but remember a little thickness is ok because we will be adding food coloring which will thin down the mixture a bit more.

5. Give your buttercream a taste. If you need to adjust flavoring, do so now and mix again on low until mixture is smooth and well combined. Try not to over mix to keep your buttercream smooth and bubble free.

6. Decide how many different colors you want to use for your flowers, then separate the buttercream into smaller bowls. Add a few drops of food coloring and mix by hand with a small spatula until the color is evenly distributed throughout..

7. Take your piping bag and cut off the end to accommodate the piping tip- place the tip inside the bag and make sure that it’s secure. Place the bag in a tall glass and pull the sides of the bag down over the glass for easy filling. Use a spoon or a small spatula to add the buttercream to the bag half way full ( so that you can secure the top of the bag so that the buttercream doesn’t spill out the top while piping).

8. Gently squeeze the buttercream down towards the tip until it’s at the opening and twist the top and secure. Again, holding your bag perpendicular to the cookie, slowly squeeze the buttercream to form a flower, then stop squeezing and pull the bag away for a clean finish. If you don’t typically pipe, it may take a few tries, but you will get the hang of it!

9. If you have several tips you are using, add them to your piping bags and fill each with the different color buttercream ( you can also mix more than one color for some cool effects!), it’s really up to you. If you only have one tip for many different colors (like me) I suggest making all the flowers in that one color on all your cookies, then move on to the next color, and on and on until you’ve piped all your colors.

10. When your flowers are all piped, let the cookies set for a bit. If you plan to use the cookies as cupcake toppers, I suggest making them the night before so they have ample time to set up and dry.

It’s kind of hard to give exact directions on what to do as there are so many different cookie cutters and ways that you can decorate your cookies, but I’ve tried my best. If I’ve missed something though, let me know and drop your question below. If you make these cookies, let me know what shapes you chose and how you decorated them! Most of all, have fun!

Thanks for taking time,

xx Debbie, Shorty, + Sophie