Cranberry Orange Christmas Cookies

Vegan Dad sent me this recipe. His were much prettier than mine as he put a much larger hole in the center, plus decorated the edges of the cookie. Oh well, I was just too much in a hurry.. I did not have anything to make the larger hole, consequently some of my filling oozed out on the sides. They still taste wonderful but are quite rich. The cranberry filling is yummy in these cookies.
. Next time I would make them a lot smaller.

Ingredients:
Cookies:

• 1/2 cup refined coconut oil
• 1/2 cup Earth Balance
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 3/4 cup icing sugar-This is basically powdered sugar.
• 2 cups all purpose flour-I used Bob's Red Mill.

Filling:

• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
• 3 Tablespoons fresh range juice
• 3/4 cups healthy sugar
• Verna added 3-4 teaspoons orange zest
• 
  

Directions:

1. Heat cranberries and orange juice and zest to bubbling over medium heat.
2. Cook for about 5 minutes , mashing cranberries as they cook.
3. When cranberries are well mashed, add sugar and turn to high.
4. Cook for about 2 minutes at a rapid boil stirring constantly.
5. Filing is ready when it drips thickly off the spoon.
6. Use a spoon to pass the filling through a fine mesh sieve. I did not do that.

Directions for Cookies:

1. Cream together coconut oil and Earth Balance until light and fluffy. Add extracts.
2. Blend in icing sugar.
3. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. Roll out dough on a lightly floweded surface to about 1/8 " thick.
5. Using a cookie cutter cut out as many shapes as possible.
6.  Using a smaller cutter  punch out the centers of half of them..these are your tops.
7. Roll out all dough until it is used up.
8. Place on prepared sheets and refrigerate about 30 minutes to firm up.
9. Preheat oven to 325 degrees-Bake cookies for 15-17 minutes until golden brown around the edges.
10. Cool cookies on the sheet for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool.
11. To assemble the cookies.
12. Spread the filling on the bottom half of the cookies.Don't spread to the edges, and mound up in the center of the cookie.
13. Put on the top on gently.

Make yours prettier than mine. Haste makes waste.