Vegan Persimmon-Banana Cookies With Dark Rum Icing

I could not locate a good vegan persimmon cookie recipe that appealed to me so I came up with this one; these cookies require no eggs and use less sugar and vegetable butter (margarine) than others I have seen elsewhere. The resulting "cookies" are soft and almost bread-like. Enjoy in place of scones or as a light, not too heavy treat.

• Ready In: 27 mins
• Serves: 8
• Yields: 12-16 cookies

Ingredients

• 2  ripe  persimmons
• 2  ripe bananas
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 cup  vegetable butter (margarine)
• 3⁄4 cup sugar
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons  nrg egg substitute
• 2  tablespoons warm water
• 2  cups flour
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon clove
• 1⁄2 teaspoon dried ginger
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1  cup  chopped walnuts
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. 1. In a blender, place chopped persimmons and bananas with 1 tsp vanilla extract. Blend until smooth. Add 1 tsp baking soda. Blend in briefly.
2. 2. Cream butter and sugar in mixer.
3. 3. Blend 1.5 tsp NRG egg replacer with 2 tsp warm water. When smooth, add to creamed butter and sugar. Whip butter, sugar, NRG egg replacer mixture until smooth.
4. 4. Add dry ingredients (except nuts) and fruit puree to butter, sugar, NRG egg replacer mixture. Mix. Fold in chopped walnuts by hand.
5. 5. Preheat oven to 350F (or 330F for convection ovens). Place foil on cookie tray and butter surface lightly with the end of a stick of butter. Add dollops of cookie batter to tray with enough room between so they don't combine. Bake for 12 minutes Remove to cooling tray.
6. 6. Optional: drizzle cookies with an icing made by combing confectioner's sugar with just enough dark rum to create a thick paste. Dribble over surface of cookies.