I have been a chocolate chip cookie lover for a very very long time. Just ask my family! Growing up, my mom did a good job of making me watch (or help) in the kitchen. When she baked, it was much more hands on for me and I developed my love for baking in her kitchen. I think it was when Mom went through the fat-free stage that the baking torch was passed to me. I followed her recipes to the T and the results were always predictable, that's probably what I liked so much about it. The reliable predictability. In the recent years, I've done my fair share of reading about nutrition. I've read some fantastic books that have broadened my understanding of what food does to and in your body. And even though I
know it's not really good for you/me/us, I still bake! I can't help it! Something about it makes me feel good.
One thing I have worked hard to incorporate are more vegan recipes into our cooking. Baking had started to be a major disappointment for me since dairy is one of the main ingredients in
every baking recipe I had ever used. So. I had to do some major experimenting, and the results of most these experiments was.... gross. Just ask my husband :) But I prevailed and have now found a small handfull of
excellent baking recipes that I'm proud to say are dairy free! One of my happiest discovery was that of the chocolate chip cookie. My favorite. I've listed the recipe below that I use, have fun trying it out! I make these often and no one every has a single clue that they are vegan. Oh yes, and my changes are in
purple!
Happy Vegan Chocolate Chip CookiesIngredients: 2 cups unbleached flour
(unbleached whole wheat) 2 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp.salt
cinnamon to taste
1t vegan chocolate or carob chips - put in as many as you like
(1 - 1.5 c is plenty) 1 cup raw sugar (turbinado #1, sucanat works too but sucks up a lot of the moisture)
(1/2c white sugar + 1/2 c brown) 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup water
(used 3/8c)I've also added chopped nuts, just make sure the cookie dough part has enough dough to stick together.Directions:VERY IMPORTANT-make sure all ingredients are at room temperature.
(I've actually thrown it together without being room temp with success) It will work if they're not at room temp but it works MUCH better if they are. Preheat oven to 350.
In a large bowl mix flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon (if you choose). Add chips. Make a well in the center and set aside.
In a medium size bowl mix sugar and oil. Mix it well. Add the vanilla and then add the water. Mix it well. Add the wet to the well in the dry. Mix it well but be careful not to overwork it. Add more chips if you need to. Spoon onto ungreased cookie sheets.
(Ok, these don't spread much, so make them in the shape you want to see as the end result) Put them in the oven. Bake for 5 minutes and then flip and rotate the sheets.(top to bottom,and 180 degree rotation) Bake another 4 minutes and check them.
(I didn't rotate these, seems like too much trouble and they still turned out great)The cookies are done when they seem a little bit softer then you want them to be
(I probably cook them for 8 minutes total and they stay soft). They will harden up some as they cool. I usually go in two minute increments from here untill they get to where I like them.
Take them out when they are done and move them to wire cooling racks. If they split or come apart when you try to remove them let them sit on the pan for 2 minutes before transferring them to the racks.
These cookies have come a long way, lots of time and tasting spent on getting them to where they are now. Vegans and non vegans LOVE them. In the words of my 6 year old son-Mom, you're the greatest because you know how to make the best cookies. Enjoy and let me know if you have questions. Sweet travels.
Serves: almost two dozen
Preparation time: 15 mins?-10 to 12 cooking time
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