Sweet Treats
This January many of us in an effort to consume fewer animal products will be attempting so-called ‘Veganuary’. However, this doesn’t mean sacrificing your favourite treats. These cookies are as good as any regular version, crispy on the edges, soft and chewy inside. Don’t be panicked by any of the ingredients, coconut sugar is found in the baking or health food aisle of most supermarkets as a healthy alternative to refined sugar. Most dark chocolate bars (85% cocoa) are dairy-free, just check the ingredients and if you aren’t a lover of dark chocolate there are plenty of vegan milk and white chocolate alternatives available in health food stores.
Ingredients
Makes about 12 cookies
- 180g plain flour
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (bread soda)
- 100g dairy-free butter e.g. Stork baking block
- 50g coconut sugar
- 50g caster sugar
- 2 tbsp non-dairy milk e.g. oat or almond
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- 100g dairy-free chocolate
To begin, line a large baking tray and preheat the oven to 180℃/160°Fan/Gas mark 4. Prepare the dry ingredients flour, salt, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda by sieving them all into a large bowl. Chop the chocolate bar into chunks, it’s nice to have a mixture of different sizes so you get gooey chocolate pockets scattered throughout the cookie. Beat the butter together with the coconut and caster sugar until creamy. Then add the non-dairy milk and vanilla extract and beat on high for 1-2 minutes until fluffy. Using a wooden spoon fold in the flour one half at a time to form a dough. Add the chocolate chips and mix gently until evenly incorporated. Roll the dough into balls, using a tablespoon of mixture for each. Place the cookie dough balls on the baking tray and press them down gently as these will not spread quite as much as regular cookies when baking. Make sure you still leave at least an inch between cookies though. You may need to work in batches. It’s worth noting that the cookie dough balls can be frozen for up to 2 months and then go straight into the oven from frozen, just add a little extra baking time.
Bake the biscuits in the oven for 10-12 mins until they are golden around the edges and nicely cracked on top. Be careful not to overbake them, they should still be soft coming out. Leave them for a few minutes to cool on the tray where they will crisp up and then carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool fully (if you can resist them!). These will keep for 4-5 days in an airtight container.