Nora: Every month, a group of like-minded friends get together for indie board games and a giant potluck. Like all potlucks without a Marnie, the menu is always eclectic and occasionally completely unbalanced. More than once we have had all sweets and no substance or fourteen bags of chips and eight bottles of soda. This weekend our hosts sent out the Bat Signal because nobody had said they were bringing dessert. Obviously, I was not going to let that happen. I went on a rabid search for a quick and easy recipe that would have mass appeal and would also be good enough that I’d happily eat the leftovers myself (Josh’s sweet tooth is quite atrophied after 10+ years of solo veganity) on the off chance that I was not the only person to bring last-minute sweets (I was not). These cookies didn’t end up exactly what I was looking for, but they were a hit at the party so there is definite potential here. Extensive notes after the recipe for people (mainly Beth) who want to make them exactly as they were at the party.
Josh: So, I have a major character flaw: I’m not that into sweets. I’ve been vegan long enough that my formative years were spent in a barren landscape devoid of desserts. My idea of a sweet treat was being around the smell of nonvegan baked goods. But Nora loves sweet treats, and she is playing the long-game in rebuilding my taste for them. These days it is easy to make yummy desserts that are inclusive, so no one has to go without. Stocking your kitchen or pantry appropriately is all it takes. A good mixer helps.
I say all that to say this: these cookies are good! I was supremely weirded out by the use of mayo as a binder but I also wasn’t going to run to the store to do anything about it. I tasted the dough and was pleasantly surprised. I even tasted the dough a second time. (You know, for quality control.) They baked up quickly and were delicious. Very much like a real cookie, great smell, good texture, yummy flavor, though admittedly a little greasy. There’s a hint of coconut from the oil (probably because we buy the cheap shit) that wasn’t intended but worked really well with the dominant chocolate taste. These have proven to be a big hit across dietary lines. I even had one for lunch dessert at work the other day. Me of all people. You want to talk about weird?
| Chocolate Chunk Cookies |
| Makes: 16 big cookies |
| Adapted from: Baker by Nature |
| Time: 30 mins to prep and bake + 20 to cool |
| Omnivore Index: “Why didn’t you just make Tollhouse?” |
| Ingredients: – 1/2c (112 grams) COLD coconut oil, completely solid – 1 1/4c (240 grams) dark brown sugar – 2 tsp vanilla extract – 1/4c nut milk (we use Silk’s Protein Nut Milk) – 3 Tbsp (42 grams) vegan mayo (we use Just Mayo) – 2 1/4c (270 grams) all purpose flour – 1 tsp baking soda – 1/2 tsp salt – 1.5c (240 grams) various chocolate bars, chunks and chips you find in your pantry (mostly 60-70% dark chocolate). Check the label for surprise dairy! |
| Directions: 1. Preheat your oven to 375F. 2. Slap your stand mixer’s bowl on your scale, hit “tare” and measure in the coconut oil, brown sugar and vanilla. Mix well with the whisk until no chunks of coconut oil remain. Your Kitchenaid will not sound happy. I’m sorry if you have to do this by hand. 3. Add the milk and mayo, mix until combined. 3. In another bowl (or the mixer’s bowl so Josh has fewer dishes to wash) measure out the flour, baking soda and salt. Use the scale if possible to avoid using measuring spoons. 4. Add the dry to the wet and swap to the paddle attachment. The batter will be very thick. Fold in almost all the chocolate rubble, setting aside a handful. 5. Scoop with a large ice cream scoop (about 3Tbsp) and roll them quickly in your hands to make smooth balls. Any thin spots will feather out while baking and crisp unattractively. Place 8 each onto two lined cookie sheets. 6. Bake 8-10 minutes or until set all the way through. Press remaining chocolate chips into the top for extra “wow” factor (or munch while waiting). 7. CRITICAL: Let the cookies sit at least 15 minutes to cool or they will self-destruct when you try to remove them from the pan. |
| Closing Arguments |
| Nora: It’s a chewy cookie that tastes like an Almond Joy and it’s vegan. What do you want from me? Josh: I suffer for my art so you can eat these cookies. Oh well, guess I better go suffer them some more… |
- Notes:
- Yes, I agree it is weird that there is mayo in these cookies but we didn’t have any applesauce and the internet said it was a good substitute. I think the extra fat from the mayo made these cookies a little greasy so next time I will use 3Tbsp aquafaba (canned chickpea water) instead.
- Our oven runs a little cold so I actually baked them at 385F.
- I made a double batch which nearly overcame my Kitchenaid and topped out my kitchen scale.
- The first round of two pans took 10 minutes and came out far prettier. We only have two cookie sheets so the next batch was placed on hot pans– not good. I only cooked them 8 minutes but the melting coconut oil had caused them to spread a lot more. I suggest keeping the dough in the fridge while making batches if your kitchen is very hot.
- The coconut oil we use is from Aldi and is minimally processed so these had a mild coconutty flavor. If you used refined coconut oil they would not taste like coconut.
