Mango Thumbprint Cookies | Easy Vegan Recipe

I suddenly had a hankering for some shortbread cookies the other day. As you can imagine, finding vegan shortbread is next to impossible, butter being the primary ingredient: all butter this, all butter that. So I decided to make my own. I also had some leftover mango puree that needed using up and so decided to incorporate it into this recipe. Mango puree is stupidly easy to make. Blend fresh mango, pour into a pan and cook on medium heat, stirring consistently until it reduces down and thickens slightly. For a cheat version of this recipe, use store-bought mango jam instead.

I hate to state the obvious, but this is not the healthiest snack in the world. I suppose replacing the white flour with wholemeal or spelt flour would be a step in the right direction, but on this occasion I'm embracing the shortbread cookie in all it's nutritionally-void glory ;)

Thumbprint cookies, as the name suggests, involves using your thumb to press an indentation into each mound of cookie dough and adding a filling. Why not try strawberry jam, thickened pineapple puree or marmalade?

If you like this recipe, you'll also enjoy:
- Garri/Cassava Cookies
- Double Choc Cookies
- Baked Chin Chin

Ingredients
(makes about 20)
- 1 cup vegan butter/margarine (I use this brand)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla paste or 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups plain flour
- 3/4 cup mango puree*/jam

*For homemade mango puree
- 3 ripe mangoes (peeled, seeded and chopped)
- 1 tsp sugar (or leave out for reduced sugar version)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice

To make the cookies,

Cream the vegan butter and sugar until smooth. Add the salt, vanilla and plain flour. Mix with your fingers/hands to form a soft dough. Don't over-knead it.

Form into small, bite-size rounds and place on a lined baking tray. Flatten each cookie, forming a small well in the middle with your thumb. Fill each cookie with about 1 teaspoon of the mango puree/jam.

Bake in a pre-heated oven, 160°C, for 20-25 minutes. Leave to cool for a few minutes before devouring. The mango will set and meld into the cookie. Little slabs of sunshine.

To make your own homemade mango puree, blend the chopped mango (preferably using an immersion hand blender) until fairly smooth. Transfer to a saucepan and add the sugar and lemon juice. Stir continuously on medium heat until it starts to thicken. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.