A cookie.
COOKIE?!
Who doesn’t like a fresh-out-of-the-oven-still-slightly-warm circular disc full of sugar, chocolate, maybe some nuts? Out of all the desserts, cookies are my favorite. In particular, I’m a fan of the softer cookies: not a whole lot of crunch. More pillowy, welcoming. Comfort me, sweet cookie..
After many holidays of baking multitudes of cookies, bars, brownies, and the like, I scaled back about three years ago. In part, I knew that I made these treats, I would eat these treats. Annnndddd..as you might know, that is not so good for the waistline. Friends also pushed back. It was one of those exchanges:”Thank you for these cookies. I don’t want to accept them because I am afraid of my inability to control myself around this container of greatness and I may fall into a pre-diabetic coma and I’m trying to fit back into my skinny jeans from high school that are buried in the back of my closet tbut thank you for your thoughtfulness.“
As Christmas rolled around this year, I thought to myself: “I. Want. Cookie.” Looking back, I don’t believe i had actually made a vegan cookie recipe yet (I certainly had tasted many, both homemade and out that blew my mind). Moreover, I wanted to experience that slice of Christmas celebrations of yore, especially since we weren’t going to be with our families.
After some online perusal, I decided to try Post Punk Kitchen’s Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles. Hands down, these “laughing drawings” (too much??) are in my top five of cooking rankings. And, while I do love all things chocolate, I prefer an additional pop of something – spice, crunch – in a chocolate cookie.
Sort-of circular. Warning: the dough is SUPPPPPPPPPER sticky!
Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles
Makes two dozen cookies
For the topping:
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the cookies:
1/2 cup canola oil – KT note: I used 1/4 cup sunflower oil and 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce. The cookies do turn out more “pillowy” but that’s how I prefer them.
1 cup sugar – KT note: I actually only used 1/2 cup a sugar based on reading some of the comments, and I thought they were still PLENTY sweet!
1/4 cup pure maple syrup – I subbed agave
3 tablespoons almond milk (Or your preferred non-dairy milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon chocolate extract (or more vanilla extract if you have no chocolate)
1 2/3 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Mix the topping ingredients together on a flat plate. Set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, use a fork to vigorously mix together oil, sugar, syrup, and milk. Mix in extracts.
Sift in remaining ingredients, stirring as you add them. Once all ingredients are added mix until you’ve got a pliable dough. KT note: pliable dough? This dough stuck to my fingers like superglue. Just a fair warning. Oh no, I had to lick it off……..
Roll dough into walnut sized balls. Pat into the sugar topping to flatten into roughly 2 inch discs. Transfer to baking sheet, sugar side up, at least 2 inches apart (they do spread). This should be easy as the the bottom of the cookies should just stick to your fingers so you can just flip them over onto the baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, they should be a bit spread and crackly on top. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Yes, I will make these again. PPK also has a recipe for Chai Snickerdoodles, which I will most certainly try out in 2015.
How to complement this sweet and spicy chocolate spheres? How about some coffee or tea and…
As a converted black coffee drinker, finding this gem brought me back to the days where my coffee-to-cream ratio leaned heavily to the latter. Just a tiny splash of this So Delicious creamer elevated my morning coffee and tea cups to new levels. If you haven’t tried this line of coconut milk creamers yet, I give it my full recommendation!
