Ginger Molasses Cookie Trifle (Vegan)

While my intention wasn't to create a recipe that reminded me of my mother's baking, that is exactly what happened with these cookies. I took a bite and it was almost like I was eating my mum's coveted sour cream ginger cake. Piled with whipped cream it remains one of my favourite food memories. These cookies are soft and cake-like with a slight crunch from a sprinkling of coarse sugar before baking. This isn't a chewy ginger molasses cookie. The ratio of flour to fat is higher, which gives them the cake like texture. I've decided that these cookies are best layered with cocowhip to make trifle. Really Amazing as a dessert. I might see what happens if I just bake the dough in a loaf pan sometime. And then easy to rip into chunks for a dessert, but I also like the look of having a perfect circle cookie to garnish. 

A couple notes about making this recipe successfully

• Make sure to roll the dough to 1/4 inch thick
• Don't worry about incorporating flour when you are rolling out the dough. It is quite sticky so make sure it's not sticking to your counter. 
• Don't use different shaped cookie cutters for this recipe. These are a soft cookie and using star or other shaped cutters doesn't work because they poof a bit while baking. I use a large 4 inch biscuit cutter for mine. 

Recipe

Ingredients:

Dry

• 1 1/3 cup whole wheat flour 
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• coarse sugar for decorating

Wet

• 1/2 cup Earth Balance buttery spread
• 1/2 cup brown cane sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened oat milk
• 1/2 cup molasses 
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Method:

1.  ​Cream together earth balance butter and sugar for about 2 minutes with ahand mixer on medium speed
2.  Mix in one at a time the molasses, vanilla and almond milk. 
3.  In a separate bowl add all dry ingredients except coarse sugar and stir to combine.
4.  Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until just combined, scraping down sides. 
5.  Form dough in a disc shape, wrap in plastic wrap, and pop it in the freezer for 45 minutes, or   refrigerate for a few hours to firm up.
6.  Now dust your work surface and cookie dough liberally with all purpose flour (it will be very sticky). 
7.  Roll to 1/4 inch thick. Use a circle cookie or biscuit cutter to form cookies. 
8.  Re-roll scraps until you have used up all the dough.
9.  Place on a lined baking sheet 2 inches apart and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
10.  Bake at 375 F for 8 minutes
    
11. Cool completely then simply layer chunks of soft cookie with cocowhip in dessert bowls. Garnish with a half of a cookie.