Vanilla Chocolate Chip Cake Bites

It’s been one snowstorm after another where I live. With the cold, blustery days I just want to cozy up to a hot cup of tea and a sweet snack. The thing is I’m a little burnt out on cookies (see all of the cookie posts I did last month).

Making a cake seems like too much effort, and a bigger treat that I have in mind. What I need is a two-bite snack. Perhaps a cake bite?

My recipe search uncovered an easy, smaller cake that I could convert into mini cakes without much effort. I have a pan that makes individual brownies, which is a life-saver for high altitude bakers, and I realized it was ideal for my cakelets. So, I had the basics covered.

To adapt the recipe for high altitude, I decreased the baking powder and completely omitted the baking soda. The original recipe was for a cake and smaller versions often need quite a bit less leavening. I also added a smidge more liquid to account for dryness at altitude, and reduced baking time for the smaller pastries.

The final change was to add brown sugar. Seeing as I was no longer making a cake but veering into blondie territory, this ingredient was added for a slightly chewier texture. The result was a moist, delectable, and perfectly-sized nibble to chase away winter’s chill.

Vanilla Chocolate Chip Cake Bites inspired by Vegan Choc Chip Loaded Cake

1 cup non-dairy milk (I used Take Two Original Barley Milk)
1 tablespoon applesauce
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup canola oil
1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1.25 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3/4 cup vegan chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease the cups of a brownie pan. Alternatively, use a cupcake pan with paper liners.

Place the non-dairy milk, applesauce, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, oil, and vanilla in a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Place the flour, baking powder, salt, and brown sugar in a medium bowl and whisk together. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Portion the batter into the sections of the prepared brownie pan (or into muffin liners). Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a cake bite comes out clean. Note: It will take a few more minutes to bake cupcakes.

Move the baking pan to a wire rack and allow the bites to cool completely. Remove cake bites from the pan. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Makes 12 cake bites.

Until next time, happy baking!

Spritz Style Butter Cookies

Dec25

It’s still cookie season in my kitchen. Just in case you are also baking up a storm in your home, I have one more holiday cookie recipe for you.

Butter cookies have a classic nostalgia surrounding them, and I have fond memories of making them with a cookie press. I no longer own a cookie press, but wanted to keep the tradition alive so I discovered a baking trick — you can use a piping bag with a star tip to recreate the look. So, my last recipe of the year is a spritz-style butter cookie.

There are no shortage of butter cookie recipes available, but I found one that was easy to make vegan. I used vegan counterparts for butter and milk, and I replaced the egg with aquafaba. There were no leaveners to adapt so all I needed to do was add a little extra liquid to account for high altitude dryness. The last change was to make use of the piping bag trick. And, even without fancy baking tools, the tradition endured. But don’t forget another tradition … leave a few cookies for Santa.

Spritz Style Butter Cookies adapted from Butter Cookies

1/2 cup vegan unsalted butter, cut into cubes
3/8 cup organic sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1.5 teaspoons aquafaba
1 cup + 3 Tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1.5-2 Tablespoon non-dairy milk
1 cup chocolate chips, for dipping

Prepare a large piping bag with a large star tip. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper and ensure you have enough room in your fridge for them. Set these items aside.

Add the vegan butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle blade. Beat together on medium-high until smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla and aquafaba, and beat on high until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Sift the flour and salt together in a bowl. Add half of the flour mixture to the bowl of the stand mixer. Beat on low until just combined, then turn the mixer off and add the remaining flour mixture. Beat on low until combined.

Beat in 1.5 Tablespoons of milk on medium speed. You want a dough that’s thick but also creamy enough to be able to be piped through a large pastry tip. Add more milk if needed.

Once the dough is of piping consistency, add it to the prepared piping bag. Pipe the dough in 1-2” swirls placed several inches apart on a baking sheet. Chill the shaped cookies on the baking sheets for 20-30 minutes, then preheat the oven to 350F.

Bake the chilled cookies for 18 -19 minutes, or until lightly browned on the sides. Place the cookie-laden baking sheets on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

While the cookies cool, set a few inches of water to boil in the bottom of a double boiler. Put the chocolate chips in the top of the double boiler and heat them until they are smooth.

Dip the cookies in the melted chocolate and top with sprinkles. Place the cookies in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to allow the chocolate to set completely.

Dipped cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 week. Makes 1 dozen dipped cookies.

Until next time, happy holidays and happy baking!

Spicy Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Dec19

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!

A Duet of Vegan Holiday Cookies

Dec18

chocolate peppermint cookies and oat thumbprint cookies

Ah, holiday cookie baking. The sweet scents that emanate from the kitchen this time of year are drool-worthy. They make you want to bake every cookie recipe you see.

Recently I got inspired by a friend who was madly baking like some Keebler elf, so I joined in the frenzy. The flour was flying and baking sheets were in heavy rotation. I thought that others would also begin their boisterous baking, so I have not one recipe for you, but two.

I wanted a classic Thumbprint cookie to start, and I found a recipe that was healthy and tasty. But, variety is crucial in a cookie tray, along with a bit of chocolate, so I have a chocolate cookie kissed with peppermint and slathered in vanilla frosting. The Thumbprints were already vegan; I merely changed the cooking technique to allow the dough to rest and absorb fluids to combat dryness found at altitude. The chocolate cookie was veganized by using non-dairy milk, and adjusted for altitude with the addition of liquid. I hope you are as excited for holiday cookies as I am!

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies with Vanilla Frosting inspired by NutraMilk

for the cookies
3 Tablespoons almond butter
1 Tablespoon non-dairy milk
1 Tablespoon applesauce
3 Tablespoons maple syrup
1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons almond flour (not almond meal)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
for the frosting
1/2 cup vegan butter
1.75 cups organic powdered sugar, sifted if clumpy
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 cup almond milk

Make the cookies: Preheat the oven to 350F. Place the almond butter, milk, applesauce, maple syrup, and peppermint extract in a bowl and whisk together. Combine the almond flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder in a bowl and whisk together. Add the wet ingredients to the dry bowl and stir until a dough forms. Roll the dough into 12 balls and place each ball on a baking tray, flattening each slightly. Bake for 11-13 minutes, until the cookies are firm.

Remove the tray from the oven and place on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then remove cookies from the tray and put on a wire rack to cool completely. Make the frosting: add the ingredients to a stand mixer fitted with a paddle blade. Start beating slowly and work up to medium speed. Beat until the frosting is light and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. When the cookies are fully cooled, add the frosting and decorative sugar.

Oatmeal Thumbprint Cookies with Jam adapted from Vegan Jam Thumbprint Cookies

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Fruit jam, seedless

Place the oats, flour, and walnuts in a bowl and stir to combine. Whisk together the oil, maple syrup, orange juice, and vanilla, then add to the dry ingredients. Stir to combine everything. Place the bowl of dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow the dry ingredients to absorb the liquids. It will become sticky.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough onto baking sheets. Use the back of the scoop to create an indent on top of each ball. Fill the indents with jam. Bake for 14-16 minutes until the bottoms are golden. Remove the trays from the oven and place on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove cookies from the trays and put on a wire rack to cool completely. Makes 32 – 34 cookies.

Until next time, happy Holiday baking!

Holiday Layered Magic Bars

Dec5

With December comes holidays, and with holidays comes cookies. Some of the best cookies are those that connect you to fond holiday memories. For me, one of those involves a cousin who would always bring layered cookie bars to family gatherings. To be honest, they weren’t my favorites at the time because I am not a fan of the coconut which always graces the tops of these bar cookies. But I do remember that I would scrape that off to reach the decadent richness that lay underneath. So, my first cookie this holiday season is my version of the magic bar made without coconut. I’ve adorned it with Hanukkah colors to make it sparkle for the festival of lights.

To begin making this treat, I needed to prepare my own vegan sweetened condensed milk. After browsing Eagle Brand’s website, I discovered I would need to produce 10 ounces, as that was equivalent to one of their 14-ounce cans. You can buy the coconut canned variety if you prefer. To further adapt the classic recipe into a non-coconut sensation, I decided to swap out the shredded coconut and use chopped apricots in the topping. The other vegan change was to use vegan butter instead of dairy butter. No high altitude adjustments were required, so I was on my way down a new memory lane — one with no coconut but all of the vegan goodness of the bars they call Magic.

Holiday Layered Magic Bars adapted partly from VeganBaking.net

for the vegan sweetened condensed milk:
2.75 cups non-dairy milk, such as soy or almond
1/2 cup organic sugar
1 Tablespoon vegan butter, salted or unsalted
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
for the bars:
14 graham cracker sheets
1 4-ounce stick unsalted vegan butter, melted, plus more for the baking pan
1 cup vegan chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup chopped apricots
1/4 cup organic sanding sugar
1-2 Tablespoons blue vegan sprinkles or sparkles

Place non-dairy milk, sugar, vegan butter, and salt in a saucepan. Cook over a medium-low heat, whisking frequently, until the volume is reduced to 10 ounces. Be sure to simmer gently; don’t let the mixture come to a roiling boil. This may take an hour or two. When the liquid is reduced, take the pot off the stove and whisk in the vanilla. Place the mixture into the fridge to cool and thicken further.

Meanwhile, position an oven rack on the lowest position and preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving overhang on two opposite sides for removing the baked bars. Butter the foil and set the pan aside.

Once the condensed milk has cooled, put the graham crackers in a food processor and process into fine crumbs. Place the crumbs in a bowl and add the melted stick of butter. Stir to combine. Pour the crumbs into the prepared pan and press into the bottom to form a crust. Pour the condensed milk over the crumb layer and gently spread it out with an offset spatula. Sprinkle the chocolate chips then the walnuts then the apricots over the top.

Bake until set and golden around the edges, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Decorate with sanding sugar and blue sparkles. Let pan sit on the rack to cool for another 2 hours. Remove the bars from the pan using the foil overhang then place on a cutting board to cut into bars.

Until next time, Happy Hanukkah and happy baking!

Mini Allergy-Friendly Spider Bites

Oct31

Are you looking for a Halloween Treat? I have an easy one that is also allergy friendly. It contains only three ingredients, and I modified it so it doesn’t contain common allergens. Now you have a snack to share with all of your favorite ghoul friends (sorry, I couldn’t resist).

The original recipe I found was from Food Network, but I made a few tweaks. I prepared it on the stove top and used a double boiler so the chocolate doesn’t scorch. Then I used ingredients that are generally safe for those with common food allergies. No changes were needed for baking at high altitude, but I made the goodies bite-sized so kids of all ages can enjoy them. Happy Halloween!

Mini Allergy-Friendly Spider Bites adapted from Spider Bites

12 ounces semisweet morsels or chunks (I used Enjoy Life Foods brand)
1/2 cup sunflower seed butter (I used Once Again brand)
6 cups gluten-free pretzel sticks, broken into 1-inch pieces (I used Fit Joy brand)

Place parchment paper on a baking sheet or two and set aside.

Put a few inches of water in a medium pot and put it on the stove to boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and place a heat-safe bowl on top. Place the chocolate chips in the bowl to melt; be sure that steam doesn’t enter from the pot below or the chocolate will seize. Stir the chips occasionally. When the chips are melted and smooth, turn the heat off and stir in the sunflower seed butter. Remove the bowl from over the pot and stir in the pretzel pieces.

spider bites allergy friendly ingredients

When the pretzels are thoroughly coated with chocolate, pick up a few and place them on the parchment lined sheet. Next, take 8 pretzel pieces from the bowl and arrange them to form spider legs. Take a small amount of chocolate from the bowl and blob it over the top to form the body, and to cement everything together. Repeat with the remaining pretzels. You can get creative and anatomically correct, or you can drop them on the sheet to create haystacks instead of spiders. They won’t be Halloween themed, but they will still taste good. Heck, they taste good right out of the bowl.

Place the sheet of spiders in the freezer for 10 minutes to harden. Remove gently from the parchment paper and remove any drips that don’t look like spider.

Until next time, happy nonbaking!

Chocolate Donuts with Strawberry Topping

Oct9

Is it donut season? Everyone is making donuts right now. My inbox and social media feeds are overflowing with pictures of chocolate, vanilla, and spiced varieties. They come glazed or dipped or sprinkled, and all of them look mouth-watering. So, it’s time to dust off the donut pan and dive in.

I wanted to bake chocolate donuts, naturally. My recipe search revealed a vegan version with a chocolate glaze. As good as that sounded, I knew that a strawberry topping would be perfect. For high altitude baking, I added a bit of liquid and reduced the leaveners. Next, aquafaba was added for good texture.

The non-dairy milk I chose for my treats was from Take Two Foods, a new kid on the block. They upcycle spent barley by turning it into delicious plant milk, thus helping to reduce food waste. You can find out more about them here.

Chocolate Donuts with Strawberry Topping adapted from Vegan Double Chocolate Donuts

for the chocolate donuts
2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon Take Two original flavor plant milk, or other non-dairy milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup less 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1/3 cup dutch process cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon espresso powder
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
3 tablespoons salted vegan butter, melted
2 teaspoons aquafaba
vegan sprinkles for garnish, optional
for the strawberry topping
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
2 tablespoons coconut oil, solid
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon non-dairy milk

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease the six cavities of donut pan.

Add the non-dairy milk and apple cider vinegar to a 2-cup glass measuring cup. Whisk and set aside.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. Add the brown sugar, melted butter, and aquafaba to the curdled milk in the measuring cup. Stir the wet mixture, then pour it into the dry ingredients in the bowl. Stir until just combined.

Transfer the thick batter to a pastry bag or large ziplock bag. Snip off the bottom corner of the bag. Pipe the batter into the cavities of the donut pan. Spread the tops of the donuts flat with the back of a spoon.

Bake for 14-17 minutes. The donuts should be puffed up, and a toothpick inserted into a donut should come out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove the donuts from the pan and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the strawberry topping, heat the strawberries up in a small pan set on medium. When they have softened, add the coconut oil. When the oil has melted, remove the pan from the stove. Mash the mixture with a fork, then stir in the powdered sugar and milk. Stir until well combined, then let sit until cool.

Spoon the topping over the cooled donuts. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired. Eat immediately. Cooled and undecorated donuts can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for 2 – 3 days.

Until next time, happy baking!

Ice Cream Sunday

Aug15

Hojicha Tea Ice Cream with Apricot Ribbons and Chocolate Crust

It’s so hot right now and I crave something deliciously satisfying to tickle my tastebuds. It’s Sunday and I need ice cream. And not just any run-of-the-mill ice cream, but a creamy delight with a chocolate crust. Luckily, I have a can of Twrl Hojicha Milk Tea that I’ve been wanting to use to make ice cream. The roasted green tea flavor will shine when complemented by a swirl of fruit jam and an earthy tasting cocoa crust.

I cobbled together two recipes to make my creation. The crust recipe was chosen for the earthy lucuma powder in it, although I reduced the amount so I could add cocoa powder in its place. If you don’t have lucuma, you could try another deep flavored dry sweetener, such as coconut sugar. The ice cream filling was altered to use the tea in place of water, with a little less sweetener so the green tea aroma could come through. The last feature of this dish was the apricot jam I swirled throughout the ice cream. Don’t leave it out — it’s a game changer for bringing the tastes together.

Thanks goes to the folks at Twrl Tea for providing the tea for my creative testing.

Hojicha Tea Ice Cream with Apricot Ribbons and Chocolate Crust adapted from Rouxbe Culinary School and VeganRicha

for the crust
3/4 cups almond flour
1/4 cup lucuma powder
2.5 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch fine sea salt
for the ice cream
1 cup raw cashews, soaked for 3 hours then drained
7.5 ounce can Twrl Hojicha Roasted Green Milk Tea
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1.5 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 Tablespoons vegan sugar
3 Tablespoons refined coconut oil, in solid form
for the swirl
4 Tablespoons whole fruit apricot jam

Line a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving excess hanging over the sides. Set aside.

Place the almond flour, lucuma and cocoa powders, maple syrup, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, and sea salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse to combine into a fine crumble that just holds together when pressed between your fingers. Transfer this crust mixture to the lined loaf pan. Press it down firmly with your fingers, or the bottom of a glass, to create an even layer. Place the pan in the freezer while you make the ice cream.

Wipe out the food processor bowl, then add the cashews, Twrl tea, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, sugar, and coconut oil the bowl. (Note: if your food processor can’t handle this much liquid, then place the ingredients in a blender). Process until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl down as needed. The mixture may look lumpy at first; keep going until it is creamy.

Take the pan from the freezer. Pour the ice cream over the crust and smooth it out. Return the pan to the freezer for 15 minutes for the ice cream to harden slightly. After 15 minutes, remove the pan from the freezer. Drizzle apricot jam over the ice cream and swirl it in with a toothpick. Return the pan to the freezer for two hours. When the ice cream is firm, take the pan from the freezer. Remove the ice cream by grabbing the parchment overhang to lift the loaf out. Place the loaf on a cutting board and cut slices with a warm knife.

Until next time, happy non-baking!

Gluten-Free Marshmallow-Studded Cookies

Jul3

Marshmallows and chocolate — what a yummy combination. Just thinking of them reminds me of summer parties with marshmallows made oooey gooey from time spent over a fire’s flame. Add a graham cracker or two with a chocolate square and you have s’mores. Or you can bake these cookies in the oven for a similar tasting but easier to make treat.

I discovered a vegan cookie recipe with these flavors that I could make gluten-free and adapt to my circumstances. Aquafaba was used to make a super flax egg for extra moisture and structure that is lacking at high altitude and in many gluten-free desserts. Also, I made sure to use baking powder to help activate the dutch-processed cocoa powder. The last change made to add extra rise was to use vegan butter that was not melted. The result was a chewy cookie with a crisp exterior.

My gluten-free testers raved about the cookie. One said that each bite was a different combination of tastes and flavors, while another said it was the best cookie she ever had. Not too shabby for a gluten-free and vegan treat baked at high altitude.

Gluten-Free Marshmallow-Studded Cookies adapted from Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies

1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
3 tablespoons aquafaba
1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour blend
1/2 cup dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup vegan butter
1 cup vegan sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 tablespoons non-dairy milk
1 cup vegan chocolate chips
1 cup vegan marshmallows, chopped large or unchopped minis

Preheat oven to 350F and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk together flaxseed and aquafaba and set aside to thicken.

In a bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Place vegan butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer, and combine on medium-high speed. Add flax mixture, vanilla, and non-dairy milk, and combine on medium speed until the batter is soft and smooth. Add dry ingredients and beat to combine. Add chocolate chips and marshmallows and stir with a spoon to combine.

Scoop up 2 tablespoons of batter at a time and roll into a ball. Place each ball on a baking sheet and flatten slightly with the heel of your hand. Bake for 12-13 minutes, one tray at a time, rotating halfway through bake time. Let cool on the baking sheet for five minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. They may seem too soft, but will become firm and crisp as they cool. Do not store airtight or they will get soggy. Yield: 24-26 cookies.

Until next time, happy baking and happy 4th of July!

Chewy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Jun12

Several readers have been asking for this recipe, and here it is (drumroll, please). Let me present … Chewy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies. My post The Magic of Crinkle Cookies chronicled my experiments with different crinkle ideas, and now I offer you the delicious cookie that arose from those tests. This chocolatey cookie is moist and chewy with notes that are sweet with a hint of salty. The fissures in the cookie’s crust are brought out by a slight dusting of sugars. This cookie took me back to my childhood and made me smile. I hope it makes you smile, too.

Although I borrowed parts of many recipes, the base of my creation was from a cookbook called A Good Bake. To make their cookie vegan, I swapped the dairy butter for Flora plant butter, and I used aquafaba in place of an egg. I kept the brown sugar because it has more moisture (for chewiness) and is more acidic (for its reaction with baking soda to help the cookies rise), but I used light brown sugar for a more subtle flavor. Before baking, I rolled the dough balls in granulated then powdered sugar to ensure I would get that snowy look that crinkles have. I am glad that I took the time to sort these tasty treats out because now they are a part of my regular cookie repertoire.

Chewy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies adapted from A Good Bake

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder (not dutch-process)
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
16 TBS unsalted vegan butter, softened (like Flora)
1.5 cups light brown sugar, packed
3 TBS aquafaba
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegan sugar, for rolling
1/4 cup vegan powdered sugar, for rolling

Preheat oven to 350F with a rack in the middle. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl.

Put the butter and brown sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula once or twice, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the aquafaba and vanilla, and beat until well combined, 2 minutes. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until no visible flour remains, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Pour the vegan sugar in one shallow bowl and the powdered sugar in another. Use a 2 TBS cookie scoop to get a lump of dough, then roll it in your hands to form a ball. Roll the dough ball first in the bowl of vegan sugar then in the powdered sugar, and place on a prepared cookie sheet. Repeat until all dough is used, leaving 2” between each cookie.

Bake cookies, one sheet at a time, for 13-15 minutes, rotating each baking sheet from front to back midway through the baking time. Remove cookies from the oven and let them cool on the sheet for 5 minutes. Use a spatula to transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Yield: 24 cookies.

Until next time, happy baking!

Vegan Baking Up High

making tasty vegan treats at high altitude

Tag Archives: chocolate

Vanilla Chocolate Chip Cake Bites

Spicy Chocolate Chunk Cookies

A Duet of Vegan Holiday Cookies

Mini Allergy-Friendly Spider Bites

Chocolate Donuts with Strawberry Topping

Ice Cream Sunday

Gluten-Free Marshmallow-Studded Cookies