Best Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Redux (A Little Southern, A Little Chewy And Amazing!)

Finding yourself in a quandry when it comes to making the perfect vegan chocolate chip cookie can perplex even the best of vegan home cooks. Many have tried, many have failed. I am a skeptic by nature. But in this cookie you will find that yummy, chewy, down home, almost heaven-like chocolate chipper. This recipe now holds highest esteem in my kitchen chocolate chip-making-ness. I have so many, but swear to goodness, this one will win you over--even better on day two!

As I eat more. . . I couldn't help myself! (So thought a two-bite view was called for!)

I have a bit of a problem when it comes to cookbooks: I covet them! Cookbook display equals: stop in my tracks. Such was that case on Wednesday when I had a "few" items I needed to pick up from the store. This cute little bookstand was sitting next to the pears when I glanced down to see something new: Trisha Yearwood's Home Cooking. Just a side note--I don't own all vegan cookbooks--I'd worry I'd starve if I did. I draw vegan cooking inspiration from a plethora of cooking genres.

About the book, first of all, that title alone struck a chord. I love "home cooking"--aka, stick-to-your-ribs cooking. (And honestly, it could have had Grandma Moses as the the author--or Fannie Farmer.) Second of all, this author happens to be married to Garth, you know that man has an appetite. He's southern, he IS country music and he ranks high in my ipod shuffle mix--second only to Vince Gill. Third, the cookbook is photographed beautifully. The recipes in this collection include many of my "southern childhood" favorites. Because readers of my blog know--I didn't start out southern, but was transplanted at a very young age--cutting my teeth on sweet tea and craw dad hunting before I was sixteeen. Given my age today and years spent now in the fine state of Missouri, I would say I've earned some Southern cred.

My whole home cooking thing I have should be of no surprise to readers of this blog. Let us count the number of meals which have inlcuded mashed potatoes. I've never claimed to be a frou-frou vegan cook. There is nothing wrong with "healthy" and "vegan"--just a little redundant in my book is all. Mr. Thyme would laugh me out the door if I placed a "pea shoot" in front of him for dinner and say something like, "Nice appetizer, where's the rest of the meal?" Plus, I hate to get "the look" at meal time, so I tread lightly with my vegan cooking and translations and often will insert a more recognizable green on a plate in lieu of say, micro greens or something of that nature. Vegan grub would best define this home cook.

I try to apply the half-dozen rule of thumb to my cookbook cravings: if there is at least six recipes I'd try, then in the cart it goes. *I envy those cooks out there who can "wing it" and cook without recipes. Of course I can--and do sometimes, but mostly, I like a bit of a template to start from--then we'll work from there. I am suspect of cooks claiming, "I never use a cookbook"--even Julia Childs used cookbooks for crying out loud.

Thus, I would like to share one of the first amazing recipe adaptations from Trisha's new cookbook: Venita's Chocolate Chip Cookies. This is only one of two recipes I made in one night from her cookbook. The second one, I will share soon. But the cookie monster in me demanded I make this cookie pronto. And I was so glad I did!

Again, we have the old question of "to use the Ener-G Egg Replacer or to not use the Ener-G Egg Replacer" question. I opted to use it this time. I am sure a substitute of Silken tofu (1/4 cup per egg) would work just fine. I might make this adjustment down the road at some point, but for now, the egg replacer worked. The other change I made was to add soy milk and a pinch of cinnamon. And I did not use a Hershey chocolate bar, but used some Ghiradelli baking squares instead--which to me made all the difference in the world.

Best Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Redux

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cup rolled oats (not quick oats)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons Ener-G Egg Replacer mixed with 4 tablepsoons warm water (equiv. to 2 eggs)
3/4 cup unsalted vegetable margerine (1 1/2 sticks)
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup Florida Crystals or regular granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 tablepsoons soy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup vegan chocolate chips
4 oz. of vegan baking chocolate squares chopped (I used Ghiradelli for my chocolate)
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 400. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. (A baker's best friend!). Mix up your egg replacer now, set aside. Take the rolled oats and process them to a fine grain in your food processor. I didn't get a "flour" consistency, more of a grainy look, but I gave them a good whirl a few times. In a medium mixing bowl, add all dry ingredients (flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon) whisk together. In another bowl, add the shortening and veggie margerine in pieces, then add the sugars and mix well until all crumbly looking. Add the egg replacer, soy milk and vanilla extract and mix until smooth consistency. Then carefully and one bit at a time, add the dry ingredients to the wet. Mix well after each addition. (I used my hand blender and mixed until all the dry ingredients were well incorporated.) Fold in the chips and chopped chocolate. Roll dough into little balls about 1 1/2" inches in diameter and place two inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake 7 minutes--remove from oven and allow to cool on cookie sheet. Store in an airtight container. Is still good on day three, going on day four. *We re-heated them up for about 20 seconds in the microwave to see if we could recapture the "from-the-oven" goodness. . . and we could! YUM!