Sitting Pretty Cookies

Sitting Pretty Cookies hold a special place in my heart, as my grandmother used to bake them for her Christmas cookie parties. Among all the cookies she prepared, these were definitely one of my top FAVORITES!

By Rose Huxford

Sitting Pretty Cookies, which can be made dairy-free, gluten-free, and peanut-free, are ideal for any holiday gathering. My version varies slightly from the original recipe, as I included some almond extract for an extra burst of flavor. I've also experimented with the original recipe to make these completely dairy-free, gluten-free, and peanut-free, and you wouldn't even notice the difference!

Sitting Pretty Cookies

Pre-heat oven: 350 degree F

Yields: ~30 cookies

Prep-time: 5 minutes

Bake-time: total 12 minutes

Total-time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, or earth balance vegan butter sticks, softened

• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

• 4 tbsp cane sugar

• 1 egg, separated (1 egg yolk, 1 egg white), plus 1 tsp water

• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

• 1/2 tsp pure almond extract

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, or GF flour

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 1/4 cup shredded coconut

• vanilla frosting (I like Duncan Hines whipped frosting)

• peanut or almond m&m's, or unreal vegan peanut gems

Directions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degree F.

2. Line 1 or 2 baking sheet pan(s) with parchment paper, and set aside.

3. Separate the egg and place the yolk in one small bowl and the egg white, plus water, in another small bowl, beat for 1 second. Set aside.

4. In another small bowl, add the shredded coconut, and set aside.

5. In a large bowl, cream butter for about 20 seconds. Then, add in the sugars and beat or whisk for another 20 seconds. Next, add in the vanilla, almond extract and egg yolk. Whisk to blend the rest of the ingredients.

6. In a medium bowl, use a spatula to blend flour and salt. Add the flour mixture to your butter mixture.

7. Use the spatula to incorporate all the ingredients until well blended.

8. Use about 1 tsp of dough and roll into ~ 1" balls. One at a time, dip each ball into the beaten egg white, then roll around in the shredded coconut. Place on the prepared baking sheet pan. Repeat this with the rest of the dough.

9. Bake for 6 minutes. Once the 6 minutes is up, remove from the oven and gently press your finger print on top of the cookies. Return to the oven for another 6 minutes.

10. Allow the cookies to cool on the sheet pan for a couple of minutes before transferring to the cooling rack. Let the cookies cool completely before frosting.

11. Once the cookies are completely cooled, add about 1 tbsp of frosting and frost just the top in a circular motion. Then, add 1-3 candies on top. Repeat with the rest of the cookies. Let them sit to firm.

12. You can freeze these cookies in a tin for up to 1 month.

13. These make for great gifts, so enjoy!

By Rose Huxford