I made these chocolate chip cookies last week when I discovered that I had some dark chocolate chips and had a sudden craving for something chocolatey. So, these cookies came to the rescue! I use cocoa powder to make the dough intensely chocolatey as well as the dark chocolate chips. These cookies are also vegan in that there is no dairy used but if you are concerned that the chocolate chips have dairy then you can also use 70% chocolate and break into into small pieces the size of a chocolate chip. For all intents and purposes it will be just the same.
For the oil I use refined coconut oil instead of margarine or butter. Refined coconut oil is great for baking because like butter it will stay solid until about 25C (butter melts a few degrees higher) but can be used to much higher temperatures so it can also be used in cooking. One important thing to note about refined coconut oil is that unlike the virgin coconut oil, it does not have any coconut aroma. A lot has been written about the benefits of virgin (raw) coconut oil but I very much don’t like the aroma of coconut on things that are not supposed to have coconut! Refined coconut oil has a neutral aroma and flavour and so is much more versatile. Unlike the raw coconut oil which is made from fresh coconuts, refined coconut oil is made from dried coconut and steam refined to remove any flavours. The word refined can be a bit misleading but no chemicals are used in the refining process. Which one you use is up to you, but if you don’t want any undue coconut aroma then refined coconut oil is the one to use (and much less expensive!)
Another worthy note is that instead of eggs I use aquafaba (chick pea water). This may sound odd, but vegans have been using chick pea water (the water that you get in a tin of chickpeas!) for some time. It has a complex mix of carbohydrates and proteins that can be whipped like egg and can be used to provide moisture in baking in the same way as eggs can. In a recipe like this 2 eggs would be used, and you can replace one egg with 2-3 tbsp of chickpea water
Back to the double chocolate chip cookies – they are so good! A bit like a brownie in a cookie because they are very rich and intensely chocolatey, perfect for chocoholics or a chocolate fix on a rainy day. One thing I do suggest as an upgrade is to sprinkle a little sea salt on top of the cookies in order to take them to another level!
Description
These decadent cookies are made with cocoa powder to make the dough intensely chocolatey as well as the dark chocolate chips. It is impossible to have just the one and they are crunchy on the outside and slightly gooey on the inside, a bit like a brownie.
Ingredients
- 200 g plain flour
- 50 g cocoa powder
- 75 g soft brown sugar
- 50 g granulated sugar
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 90 g coconut oil (melted)
- 5-6 tbsp aquafaba (chick pea water)
- 50 g dark chocolate chips (or dairy free chocolate)
- pinch of salt
- 7 oz cups of all purpose flour
- 2 oz cocoa powder
- 3 oz soft brown sugar
- 2 oz granulated sugar
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 3¼ oz of coconut oil (melted)
- 5-6 tbsp aquafaba (chick pea water)
- 2 oz of dark chocolate chips (or dairy free chocolate)
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and a pinch of salt into a bowl.
- Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar to the bowl.
- Add the coconut oil, melted and the chickpea water.
- Mix well with a wooden spoon until a dough starts to form.
- Add the chocolate chips or chocolate pieces (whichever you are using).
- Keep on mixing until the dough is fully formed and uniform.
- Line a baking tray with some grease proof paper and preheat the oven to 150C (300F) fan.
- Make a ball of dough with your hands about 3-4 cm (1 to 2 inches) in diameter and place them on the baking tray.
- Flatten them on the tray with your hands and bake for about 15-17 minutes.
Notes
- Use refined coconut oil as a replacement for butter or dairy free butter. The refining process removed any coconut aroma to give a neutral tasting oil.