Star Cutout Cookies

Yum these are actually eggless cookies -- I can't believe how well they held together they are totally not falling apart! 

  

 These cookies were cut out partly with cookie cutters from the dollar store and partly with the ones below that i made from large index cards and scotch tape -- i thought i would never find a use for all those index cards i have had them for years! used two of them anyway :-) also the circle ones i did with a very strange bottle cap.  also the one i made with my own star cutter i ate already so it's not present in the picture oh well

Also, what i used for a rolling pin is a tall bottle of olive oil -- worked PERFECTLY, rolled out the dough in no time flat i was amazed how little time it took to roll out the dough.  

The great thing about this recipe is there's no muss or fuss since you roll everything between two sheets of parchment paper no mess to clean up!

Here is the recipe except i adapted it -- actually the organic vanilla extract i  used initially made the cookies a bit bitter but the bitterness went away after they sat for an hour or so.   The cookies were quite good i ate a whole bunch, however i am going to try to find better tasting vanilla extract

here is the website i originally got it from :-) http://www.elanaspantry.com/star-cookies/

and here is how i adapted the recipe: 

1. made a half batch since that's all the almond flour I had – this amount filled my whole very large cookie sheet with cookies so if I did do a whole batch I would separate the dough into 2 halves and then roll out one half at a time so it stays cold.
2. left out the cinnamon since I did not have any handy
3. I substituted melted butter for the melted coconut oil
4. left the dough in the freezer instead of the refrigerator for an hour
   
   Okeedoke well i made some icing from the cookies from this recipe, from http://www.sheletthemeatcake.com/2011/02/frosted-sugar-cookies/:   my adaptations are in pink :-)
   

   Refined Sugar-Free Frosting Recipe

   This frosting is awesome.  It works on cupcakes too!
   
   

   • 1 tbsp vanilla (either leave this out or find a better tasting organic vanilla extract)
   • ½ cup coconut oil, liquefied
   • 4 tbsp maple syrup (used agave syrup, start with a lot less since it's very sweet & add til it tastes good)
   • 4 tbsp full fat coconut milk (canned)
   • Pinch of sea salt
   • a teeny bit of fresh lemon juice (about 1/8 tsp)
   • 1 tsp water from a cooked beet or as desired 

   1. Use an immersion blender to combine all of the ingredients.
   -- i added about 2 1/2 teaspoons of beet water 1/2 tsp at a time and it came out a lovely pink! 
   2. Refrigerate to harden, remove after 15 minutes – you want the coconut oil to harden just a little bit, too much and you’ll have to warm it up again!
   3. Blend very well and spread approximately 1 tsp on each cookie.
   4. Refrigerate to harden.  It will set at room temperature, but it’s best to put the frosted cookies in the fridge.