WFPB Sourdough Shortbread Cookies

About a month ago, I converted my drop cookie base to use whole food plant based ingredients, and it was a HUGE win! You can download that WFPB cookie base here. What I REALLY wanted to do is to make a shortbread cookie base, which is wonderful to pair with tea or coffee. My parents are on a whole food plant based diet, and sticking to it when it comes to certain things like cakes and cookies can be HARD. This base was created for them. Love you mom and dad! You guys are the best, and I want you to live forever (although I know that's impossible).

I used the same ideas I had before, substituting butter for coconut butter (which is just coconut meat blended into a butter kind of like peanut, cashew, or almond butter) but it lends a slightly sweeter, more mellow flavor. I substituted the sugars for dates, which we call God's candy in our house. Finally, to get a similar consistency to creamed butter and sugar, I added some of my stiff sourdough starter. This time, I used some Medjool dates, which were a little harder than my usual Barhi dates. For this reason, I added a bit of water to the mixture to get it to cream together nicely. And it worked!

Drop Cookies vs. Shortbread Cookies

Shortbread cookies differ from drop cookies in a few ways: there is no egg, there is more fat compared to the flour, and there is no leavening (skip the baking soda/baking powder).

Shortbread Cookie Recipe Base

Ingredients

• 200 grams of stiff sourdough starter
• 250 grams of dates, pits removed (approximately 20-25 dates)
• 150 grams of softened coconut butter
• 80 - 100 grams of warm water
• 250 grams of fresh milled soft grains
• 1 tsp cinnamon, ground (optional)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla bean powder (optional)

Also optional, and technically not whole food plant based, but they can make this cookie treat even better:

• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 6 grams of sea salt
• 1 tbsp cornstarch

Your cookies will still be totally delicious without these optional items, but if you're dabbling in swapping sugars for whole food sweetener such as dates, you could use REAL butter instead of coconut butter and add these optional ingredients and have a phenomenal shortbread that does NOT count as whole food plant based but is still wonderful. I prefer to offer options for folks, rather than remain set to my own ways and following a recipe as a strict set of directions. So do what you will with that.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F convection or 375 F conventional oven.
2. Place sourdough starter, dates, and softened coconut butter to your stand mixer and use the paddle to cream the mixture, starting on low speed so the dates don't fly out.
3. If the mixture looks too dry (some dates have less water than others), slowly drizzle your water into the mixing bowl as you cream the mixture. Stop when the mixture is light in color and creamy looking, with only small bits of dates visible. Cream the mixture longer if you want to break down all the dates. I don't mind little bits.
4. If you are using vanilla extract, add it while the mixture is creaming, just before you stop.
5. Mill the flour as fine as you can, and mix it with any spices (if using) or cornstarch (if using).
6. Add the flour to the mixing bowl, and mix on LOW speed until JUST combined. Do not over-mix.
7. Optional step: for TRUE sourdough cookies, let the dough ferment on the counter for 4-8 hours, or a day or two in the fridge (covered so it doesn't dry out).
8. Roll out the cookie dough between two sheets of parchment, or lightly flour the dough so the rolling pin does not stick. Your choice.
9. Cut your cookies with cookie cutters, a rolling cutter, or a sharp knife. Put some space between your cookies.
10. Bake for 6 - 10 minutes. Remove when the cookies are 190 F if you like a softer shortbread cookie, or when the cookies are 200 F for a crunchier cookie. I use an instant read thermometer and place the tip into one of the cookies to check.
11. Remove from the oven, and let cool before slicing.