I’ve been bitten by the cookie baking bug! (See yesterday’s blog post). Cookies are being created by the dozens in my kitchen in the name of holiday spirit. So, also in the name of holiday cheer, I offer you a bonus post this weekend. Here’s an additional recipe to add to your festive cookie arsenal.

My recipe is a vegan version of Dorie Greenspan’s famous World Peace Cookies. She updated them recently with additional add-ins, but I kept mostly to the original. The vegan substitutions were simple — using vegan unsalted butter for the dairy type, and making sure that all sugars were vegan. Then I added a bit of milk to help with the dryness at altitude. And, because I like the addition of spice in her newest version, I went with a spiced chocolate idea. Here’s to World Peace and chocolate; not necessarily in that order.

Spicy Chocolate Chunk Cookies adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s World Peace Cookies

1 cup + 7 tablespoons (173g) all purpose flour
1/3 cup (28g) Dutch-process cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
11 tablespoons (155g) room temperature unsalted vegan butter, cut into chunks
2/3 cup (142g) organic light brown sugar
1/4 cup (50g) vegan granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon ancho chili powder (depending on preference)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon non-dairy milk
5 ounces (142g) vegan semisweet chocolate chunks, chopped if the chunks are large

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda together into a bowl. Set aside.

Place the butter and sugars into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a flat blade. Beat together on medium speed until smooth. Add the salt, chili powder, vanilla, and milk and beat until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. With the mixer turned off, add the dry ingredients and blend at low speed until just incorporated. Add the chocolate chunks and stir in with a spoon.

Turn the dough out onto a cutting board and knead it a bit to bring it together. Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a log that is 1 ½” in diameter (the length will be between 7” and 8”). Wrap the logs with two layers of plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 2 hours, or in the refrigerator for 3 hours up to overnight.

When ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 325F. Take the dough out of the refrigerator or freezer and let it stand at room temperature for 5-15 minutes (depending on where you kept it cool). Line several baking sheets with parchment paper.

Using a sharp, thin knife, slice the dough logs into 1/2″-thick rounds. Arrange the rounds on the lined baking sheets, leaving 2” between the cookies. Bake for 12-13 minutes. They won’t look fully baked and they won’t be firm. Transfer the sheets to a wire rack and let the cookies cool until just warm or at room temperature.

Packed in an airtight container, the cookies will keep for five days at room temperature or for up to two months in the freezer. Makes 28-32 cookies.

Until next time, happy baking!