Vegan Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

I couldn't resist and ordered another vegan cookbook, "Vegan With A Vengeance". Now please, don't be scared by the word "vegan". Vegan is not just about taking care of your body, the planet and making a statement to the bio industry. Cooking vegan is like having a culinary playground at your disposal! You are so much more likely to experiment with all sorts of grains, nuts, seeds and pulses. Here is a recipe for chocolate chip cookies that totally blew me away! They were SO darn good, I can't even tell ya! Actually, I've been asked for this recipe by people who are out to impress someone they have the hots for, so if that's not enough of an incentive for you to try them then I don't know what is!


The recipe is from one of my favorite vegan foodie sites, The Post Punk Kitchen.


Here's the recipe for these cookies. Now go and impress...even if it's just yourself!

Chewy Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies
by Isa
prep time: 15 minutes | cooking time: 10 minutes per batch | makes 3 dozen*
These are brownie-like and chewy. Be careful not to over bake them, they may seem like they aren't done after 10 minutes but they are!* See the variations for Chewy Chocolate Cherry Cookies and Chocolate Hazelnut (or almond or walnut or whatever) Cookies at the bottom of the directions.


Baking Sheet, Blender, 2 large bowls, mixing spatula, cookie sheets

Ingredients
3/4 cup canola oil
2 cups sugar (I only used 1!)
2 teaspoons vanilla (I used 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tsp almond extract)

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon whole flax seeds
1/2 cup soy milk

2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup dutch processed cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips


Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F.

Grind the flax seeds on high in a blender until they become a powder. Add soy milk and blend for another 30 seconds or so. Set aside.

In a large bowl sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.

In a separate large bowl cream together oil and sugar. Add the flax seed/soy milk mixture and mix well. Add the vanilla. (I did this with the beater attachment on the KA)

Fold in the dry ingredients in batches. When it starts to get too stiff to mix with a spatula, use your hands until a nice stiff dough forms. Add the chocolate chips and mix with your hands again. (I did this first with a wooden spoon and then with the dough hook on the KA)

Roll dough into 1 inch balls and flatten into a disc that's about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet about an inch apart.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes, then set them on a wire rack to cool completely.

Variations:
For chocolate chocolate chip cherry cookies, replace 1 teaspoon of the vanilla with almond extract, and replace 1/2 the chocolate chips with dried cherries.

For chocolate nut cookies, replace 1 teaspoon of the vanilla with a nut extract (almond, walnut, what have you) and replace the chocolate chips with 1 1/2 cups chopped nuts (hazelnuts, almonds or walnuts all are good).


*I made them a little bigger so got about 24.
*I baked mine just a tad longer. About 12-15 minutes.