Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook Part 117

Deep, dark, chocolaty and nutty, this is a perfect (soy)milk and cookies cookie for chocolate lovers. The recipe is incredibly versatile, so check out some of the variations.

If you don't have flaxseeds, you can leave them out of the recipe. The cookies will be a bit less chewy but still yummy!

2 cups all-purpose flour

cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

teaspoon salt

cup canola oil

1 cups sugar

4 teaspoons ground flaxseeds

cup soy milk

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

teaspoon almond extract

cup vegan chocolate chips

cup walnuts, chopped small

PREHEAT THE oven to 350F.

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

In a separate large bowl, mix together the oil and sugar. Add the flaxseeds, soy milk, and vanilla, and mix well.

Fold in the dry ingredients in batches. When the batter starts to get too stiff to mix with a fork, use your hands until a nice stiff dough forms. Add the chocolate chips and walnuts, and mix with your hands again. Your hands will get covered in chocolate, but worse things have happened.

Wash your hands and line two baking sheets with baking parchment. Roll the dough into 1-inch b.a.l.l.s and flatten into disks about 1 inches in diameter. Place about an inch apart on the lined cookie sheets.

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

Variations: You can do so much with these!

White Chocolate Chip-Cherry-Chocolate Cookies: Replace the chocolate chips with white chocolate chips and replace the walnuts with dried cherries.

Orange-Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Cookies: Omit the walnuts. Add 3 teaspoons of finely grated orange zest to the liquid ingredients.

Chocolate-Hazelnut Cookies: Omit the chocolate chips. Replace cup of the soy milk with hazelnut liqueur. Replace the walnuts with chopped, toasted hazelnuts.

WHEAT-FREE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES.

MAKES 18 COOKIES.

TIME: 45 MINUTES.

These cookies couldn't be any easier to make, unless you had someone else make them for you. Oat flour makes a dense and crumbly style of cookie that is perfect for all cookie monsters, not just those avoiding wheat. Note: Although oats do not contain gluten, some people with wheat allergies still avoid them. If you're making these for a celiac friend, ask if they eat oats first.

Oat flour is available in many supermarkets, but if you can't find it or don't think you'll be using it much, you can make your own by whizzing rolled oats in a blender or food processor until it resembles flour.

1 cups oat flour

teaspoon baking soda

teaspoon salt

cup brown sugar

cup granulated sugar

cup canola oil

1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds

cup soy milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

cup chocolate chips

PREHEAT THE oven to 375F.

Sift together the oat flour, baking soda, and salt.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flaxseeds and soy milk. Add the brown and granulated sugars and stir, add the oil and vanilla, and whisk vigorously until all ingredients are emulsified (about a minute).

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry; fold in the chocolate chips.

Drop the batter by the tablespoon onto an ungreased baking sheet, leaving 1 inches of s.p.a.ce between the cookies. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool the rest of the way.

PEANUT-GINGER-SESAME COOKIES.

MAKES 42 COOKIES.

TIME: 35 MINUTES.