Makes around 16 cookies

Photo by James Walmsley

Whether you?re going all out with your decorating or you’re a part of the gingerbread minimalist movement, this recipe is a surefire winner that will have you singing Christmas carols to your cat. Or at least that one Pogues song.

This recipe has been on the site since the dawn of time, so let me take this moment to suggest that you color your icing with natural stuff simply because it?s fun and pretty. There are certainly vegan food colorings out there, too. But it?s nice to have these ingredients on hand for other baking projects when you want to slay Instagram.

Pink: beet powder, freeze dried strawberries grated with a microplane 

Hot pink/fucscia: dragonfruit powder

Orange: freeze dried mango (it?s more peach, not very saturated)
Green: matcha powder

Purple: freeze fried blackberries or blueberries grated with a microplane

Blue: spirulina, butterfly pea flower powder (turns purple with acidic ingredients)

Ingredients

For the cookies:
1/3 cup canola oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light molasses
1/4 cup plain unsweetened vegan milk
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

For the icings:
2 cups confectioner?s sugar, sifted if clumpy
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons war...