1. Rub the flour and margarine together

Start by adding your self-raising flour to a large bowl. Rub in the cold vegan margarine with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. This step helps create a tender, crumbly cookie texture.

Pro tip: If the margarine starts to melt from the warmth of your hands, pop the mixture into the fridge for a few minutes to cool down.

2. Stir in the sugar

Mix in the caster sugar until it’s evenly distributed. At this point, the mixture should still be dry and crumbly.

3. Add the wet ingredients and color

In a small bowl or cup, mix the vanilla extract, lemon extract, and soy milk. Pour this into the dry mixture, then add your lime green food coloring. Stir everything together with a wooden spoon until it starts to come together, then use your hands to form a dough ball.

If the dough feels too dry, add a splash more soy milk. Too sticky? Sprinkle in a little more flour. The dough should feel soft but not sticky.

4. Chill the dough

Wrap the dough ball in plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes. Chilling helps the cookies keep their shape and prevents spreading during baking.

5. Shape and coat the cookies

Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Divide the chilled dough into 12 equal pieces, rolling each into a ball. Roll the balls in icing sugar until completely coated, then gently press them into thick discs.

Quick tip: Coat them generously! The more sugar, the better the crinkle effect.

6. Bake and add the “hearts”

Place the discs onto a lined baking tray, leaving a little space between them. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies look crinkled and no longer wet in the center.

As soon as they come out of the oven, press a red Skittle into the center of each cookie. The warmth of the cookies will help the candy stick without cracking.