In all the hubbub over super bowl treats, we can't forget the vegan(s) in our lives. Thankfully, Gail at Cooking at the Pacific Outpost has us covered: here's her recipe for vegan sugar cookies, that can be cut out with football-shaped cookie cutters and decorated with vegan frosting to signify the team of your choosing. Y'know, because you will suffer humiliation when the team from my town defeats the team from your town.

Vegan Sugar Cookies
Makes: About 24 cookies

You will need:

¾ cups Earth Balance, softened (FYI: Earth Balance is just a butter substitute - it won't kill you, I promise)
1 cup sugar
½ cup soy yogurt
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp almond extract
2 ½ cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt

In a large bowl, cream the Earth Balance and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Beat in the soy yogurt and the extracts. Sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt and stir until well combined. Cover the dough and chill it in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Shape the cookies and place them 1" apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for approximately 8 minutes. Cool completely before icing.

Makes approximately. 24 cookies.

Some people have to avoid butter in their diets and to the die-hard butter fans, this seems like a sad thing. There are many valid reasons to do this, though, such as a doctor's orders to reduce cholesterol intake. There are also some people who simply prefer the taste of margarine, but though it might make an acceptable substitute on toast, margarine can't really compare to butter in baked goods - particularly in a butter cookie. Or can it? The Wall Street Journal baked up a few batches to find out.

The butter cookies made with real butter, the Land O'Lakes Ultra Creamy, came out on top. Land O' Lakes stick margarine came in second place, with a reasonable approximation of the taste and appearance of the real cookie. Unfortunately, the Land O' Lakes tub margarine did not fare as well, and though it had a similar texture to butter, the taste was nowhere near the real thing. Promise stick margarine did not do well, either, producing a cookie with little butter flavor.

I have actually had good results using Earth Balance "buttery spread" when baking, but the clear the solution is to stick to butter - not margarine - when it comes to baking.