Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar: 100 Dairy-Free Recipes for Everyone's Favorite Treats (23 page)

¼ cup nondairy milk
1 tablespoon maple syrup
4 ounces semisweet vegan chocolate
(either chopped or chips)
A few extra teaspoons of nondairy milk
to use for shaping cookies

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Have ready two ungreased, nonstick baking sheets. Avoid using parchment paper or greasing the sheet as this cookie dough requires a little bit of “grip” when it’s piped onto a baking surface.

2. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the margarine, sugar, and salt until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl frequently. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and beat to combine. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and cornstarch. Add half the flour mixture to the margarine mixture, first folding in the flour with a spatula so that it doesn’t fly all over the place when using the mixer beaters. Beat until the flour is mostly combined and add the rest of the flour, using the spatula as before. Mixture may be a little crumbly. Beat in the nondairy milk to form a soft dough.

3. Fit a jumbo (number 827 or ½inch-wide opening) star pastry tip into your pastry bag and load it about halfway full. Hold the edges of the bag and shake it a few times to help push the dough further down toward the nozzle. Use one hand to twist down the end of the bag until dough begins to press out of the tip, and with your other hand, guide the nozzle onto the baking sheet. Pipe stars of dough 1½ to 1¾ inches wide and about 2 inches apart onto the baking sheet. To remove the nozzle from freshly pressed cookie dough, gently twist and pull the nozzle away from the cookie.

4. After you’re finished piping out the cookies, use the back of a teaspoon (the circular kind used for measuring is best) or your finger to create the indentations into the cookies that will eventually hold the melted ganache. First dip the back of the teaspoon in nondairy milk, then press it into the center of the dough star. Gently move it around a little to create a well at least ¼ inch deep, taking care not to press a hole into the bottom of the cookie. The wider the well the more ganache it can contain!

5. Bake the cookies for 12 minutes until puffed and the edges are just starting to turn golden. After baking, if some of the wells look too puffed, gently press the hot cookie centers again with the back of the measuring teaspoon. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before using a thin spatula to move them to wire racks to complete cooling.

6. While cookies are baking, make the chocolate ganache. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the nondairy milk and maple syrup to a gentle boil. Immediately remove from heat and add chocolate. Use a silicon spatula to stir the chocolate into the nondairy milk mixture. Keep stirring until chocolate is completely melted and very smooth, about 6 to 8 minutes. Allow the ganache to cool about 10 minutes before proceeding. It should thicken slightly but still remain pourable.

7. Cookies can be filled with ganache while still warm or after they are cooled. Spoon ½ to 1 teaspoon of warm (not hot) ganache carefully into centers, filling each as much as possible but taking care not to overflow. Allow the ganache to cool at least an hour or more to completely set. If desired, chill the cookies to speed up the process. Store in a tightly covered container in a cool location.

Morsels

 

Allow the ganache centers
of these cookies at least an hour
to firm up. To help speed the process
chill the cookies for at least 20 minutes.
Chilled ganache will have a clouded
appearance; allow the cookies to sit
at room temperature for 5 minutes
for the chocolate surface
shine to return.

 

⅔ cup sugar
¼ cup oil
¼ cup nondairy milk
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup Dutch cocoa powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
⅓ to ½ cup orange marmalade
A few tablespoons powdered sugar
(optional)

1. In a mixing bowl, vigorously mix the sugar, oil, and nondairy milk. Mix in the zest and vanilla.

2. Sift in flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Mix until well combined. The dough should be stiff but pliable. Divide in half and form into two large discs; flatten the discs and refrigerate them for about an hour.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll the dough out about ⅛ inch thick onto a lightly floured surface. Use a 1½- to 2-inch cookie cutter to make circles. Transfer the cookies to baking sheets with a thin spatula. Roll the dough scraps out to get a few more cookies.

4. Bake the cookies for 7 minutes. Let them cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes before moving them to wire racks to cool completely.

5. Once cool, spread about a teaspoon of marmalade onto one cookie and sandwich it with another cookie. Sprinkle with sifted powdered sugar if desired. (The sugar that falls on the marmalade will dissolve.) Store in a tightly sealed container.

2 cups grated unsweetened coconut
⅓ cup unrefined coconut oil
¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
⅓ cup nondairy milk
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

1 cup chocolate chips
2 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Pour the grated coconut into a large heavy skillet and toast over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally and toast coconut to a light golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Watch carefully to avoid burning. Promptly remove the coconut from the heat and stir it occasionally as it cools. If the coconut continues to turn overly brown promptly pour from skillet into a large dish and spread around to help hasten cooling and stop cooking.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the coconut oil, brown sugar, non - dairy milk, flax seeds, and vanilla until well blended and smooth. Sift in the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt and mix to form a thick batter. Fold in the toasted coconut.

Lazy Samoas®

4. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of dough 2 inches apart onto the baking sheets. Flatten each cookie with the back of a measuring cup and use your fingertip to work a small hole into each center. Bake for 8 minutes, until the edges of the cookies are golden.

5. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely. Transfer the cooled cookies onto waxed paper, then place them onto a cutting board or other firm surface that can be easily slid onto a refrigerator shelf.

6. While cookies are cooling, melt chocolate chips in a microwave or double boiler (page 24), then stir the coconut oil into the melted chocolate. Allow the chocolate to cool for 5 minutes to thicken slightly. Dip cookie bottoms into the chocolate and return them to the waxed paper. Now drizzle the remaining chocolate over the cookies, either by dipping a fork into the melted chocolate or by pouring the chocolate into a pastry bag fitted with a very small round tip. Chill the cookies for at least 30 minutes to completely firm up the chocolate. Store the cookies in a loosely covered container in a very cool place.

Morsels

 

We love how
unrefined coconut oil
packs even more sweet, nutty
coconut aroma and flavor
into these little
cookies.