Chewy vegan cookies with a lemon drizzle icing on top.
Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F (or 180°C/350°F if you're using a fan or convection oven). Line a baking tray or two with baking paper or make sure you have non-stick cookie trays to hand.
Mix the ground flax seeds with 1 tablespoon of cold water and set aside for a few minutes. It will become thick and gelatinous.
In a large bowl, cream the margarine, caster sugar and brown sugar together. Add the flax seed mixture and the vanilla extract. Mix well.
Add the self-raising flour and stir it in. When it starts to stick together, use your hands to press it together into a dough. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour. If it's too dry, you can add more margarine or a splash of plant-based milk.
Add the lemon zest to the dough and use your hands to gently knead it in.
Divide the dough into 12 equal-sized pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Press each ball into a disc shape, around 1-inch in thickness. Don't flatten them completely as they will spread out a little bit in the oven.
Place the discs of dough onto your baking tray(s), leaving a few inches of space inbetween to allow for spreading. I typically bake 5-6 per tray.
Bake the cookies for 12 minutes then let them cool completely before removing them from the tray.
Mix the icing sugar with the lemon juice to make a very runny icing. Use a small spoon to drizzle it over the cookies. Top with the extra lemon zest if using.
Let the icing set fully on the cookies before enjoying.