The final treats of Christmas! Vegan cookies: Mexican wedding & peppermint chocolate crinkle

Clearly I'm a couple weeks late in posting these Christmas treats, but I promise they were made and handed out at Christmas! Hubby and I were enjoying his two weeks off, and my blog fell off the radar until now I'm pretty darn happy with these treats, so I'm excited to share them with you!

For my final treats, I chose two cookies that looked both scrumptious and had meaning. My mother-in-law makes Mexican Wedding Cookies every Christmas, and I'm usually not a huge fan. Why you ask? Hers are really good; I'm just not a fan of nuts in my cookies or desserts. However, she made them a year or two prior with the nuts ground and I could hardly taste them. The cookies were delightful! Now that the vegan bug has bitten my in-laws and myself, I wanted to attempt a vegan version for the holidays.

These cookies turned out really delicious; though a tad too sweet for my taste. I ground the walnuts super fine for the most part, so I got the nutty flavor but nothing too chunky and displeasing. I brought them to PA with us, and I know my family enjoyed them! I left them with my mother and sister-in-law and have yet to hear the verdict. Personally, I enjoyed the shortbread aspect to them. The vegan shortening I used really added a great flakiness to the cookies, and I was super pleased!  I'm looking forward to making them a tradition in our house!

The peppermint chocolate crinkle cookies were an indulgence I couldn't believe I hadn't tried before. Ken and I bought peppermint extract with the thought of making whoopee pies as I did last year. While I would have gladly enjoyed me some whoopee pies, I was (you guessed it) eyeing Pinterest for peppermint recipes, when I came upon these chocolate gems. Chocolate…peppermint…vegan-ness…the combo was nothing short of delightful. These cookies ended up moist, but with a crackly crust which was really fun! I love some good texture on my cookies with a chewy center. The recipe called for powdered sugar on top, but I nixed it as I thought it would be too much. My brother-in-law particularly enjoyed these, which I was really happy about. I didn't tell my family they were vegan though. Sshhhh!!!

To make your own vegan mexican wedding cookies, visit Hell Yeah It's Vegan!: Mexican Wedding Cookies

To make your own vegan peppermint chocolate crinkle cookies, visit The Sweet Life: Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies