Sesame-Ginger Peanut Butter Delights

1. Preheat Oven

Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare your cookie sheets. This step ensures that the cookies bake evenly and properly.

2. Sift Dry Ingredients

Sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, and ground cinnamon. Sifting combines the ingredients well and helps to aerate the flour, which will result in a lighter cookie.

3. Cream Shortening

In a large bowl, cream the softened nonhydrogenated vegan shortening for about 3 minutes using electric beaters. Creaming the shortening creates a light and fluffy base, which is crucial for the texture of your cookies.

4. Mix Wet Ingredients

Add the chunky peanut butter, brown rice syrup, sugar, soy milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract to the creamed shortening. Beat this mixture for another 4 to 5 minutes until it's smooth and well combined.

5. Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients

Gradually stir in the flour mixture and the finely diced candied ginger using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. As the dough comes together, you might need to use your hands to mix it thoroughly. The dough should be very firm, ensuring that the cookies hold their shape during baking.

6. Form Cookies

Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls. Then, roll each ball in a mixture of sesame seeds and additional sugar, ensuring they are well-coated. Place the balls on the prepared cookie sheets, spacing them about 1.5 inches apart.

7. Bake Cookies

If you prefer, you can slightly flatten the dough balls before baking. Bake the cookies for 10 to 11 minutes if you like them chewy, or up to 14 minutes if you prefer them crunchy. The cookies should be slightly golden when done.

8. Cool Cookies

Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely. This brief cooling period on the sheets helps them set so they don’t fall apart when moved.