Kitchen Adventures: Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Cookie

I decided to some some experimentation last week with one of my favorite cookie recipes. And so, the vegan pb-chocolate chipper was born. I may have already made a similar cookie, but this one's better. I pulled from BabyCakes wisdom -- using coconut oil in place of butter and applesauce instead of eggs. I incorporated some white whole wheat flour I received as a gift in place of the unforgiving bleached all-purpose. I used peanut butter we bought in bulk. And dark brown sugar for some extra taste.

These cookies are fancy and tasty. Versatile and chewy. Just look at 'em:



What you'll need . . .

• 1 cup peanut butter (I used the kind you buy in bulk, but Skippy Natural will work well, too)
• 1 cup coconut oil
• 2 cups packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups while whole wheat flour
• 1-1/4 cups wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 cup flax meal
  
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• vegan chocolate chips (1 cup -- I used Sunspire)
  

Method . . .

1. Preheat the oven to 315 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment.
2. Cream together the peanut butter, coconut oil, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the applesauce and mix until well incorporated. Stir in vanilla.
3. Sift together flours, flax meal, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Fold dry ingredients into the wet.
4. Roll heaping tablespoons of dough into balls and form 2-inch balls that you place 2-inches apart on the cookie sheets. Gently press down with the heel of your hand to flatten slightly.
5. Bake for between 12 and 15 minutes -- until lightly golden brown. Transfer to cooling rack.

It's important to have a lower cooking temperature with the coconut oil. At first, I had set my oven for the "normal" recipes 350 degrees F setting. But soon realized I would have a burn-fest on my hands. How I figured that out . . . well, experience. The week before I had used some coconut oil in brownies that I planned to bake in my new bundt pan. I set the oven temp too high and a couple minutes after placing them in the oven, I smelled burning.

I have to quickly take them out of the oven, scoop them into cupcake wrappers and bring the temp down low (by holding the oven door open and setting it for 315 degrees F). Here's how they turned out. (They were the worst vegan brownies ever, so you won't be seeing this recipe anytime soon...)



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