Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are wonderful vegan cookies. Occasionally, if I offer a vegan baked good to someone who is not vegan I avoid mentioning that the item is vegan. Many people have preconceived notions about vegan food, and I would rather people focus on taste rather than how a food is different.

This recipe comes from Vegetarian Times magazine, which has a very useful website. I like to use the recipe search feature to find recipes to use up a particular ingredient, such as almond milk.

The recipe suggests either chopped bittersweet chocolate bars or chocolate chips. I used chocolate chips, but 1 cup of chocolate chips is plenty (the recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of chips).

The recipe requires a food processor or similar electric chopper for creating ground walnuts the consistency of peanut butter. I've found that my small food processor is one of the most useful appliances I have in my kitchen.

My cookies were more lumpy than those pictured on Vegetarian Times, but still delicious.

Walnut butter

  The Heart-Healthiest Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 30 cookies

• 3 Tbs. canola oil
• 2 cups walnuts
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1½ cups oat flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 3 3.5-oz. bars bittersweet vegan chocolate, chopped, or 1½ (1 cup is plenty) cups vegan chocolate chips (12 oz.)
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray, or line with parchment paper.
  2. Blend walnuts in food processor 30 seconds, or until ground into a fine meal. Add canola oil, and blend 2 to 3 minutes more, or until mixture has the consistency of natural peanut butter, scraping down sides of food processor occasionally. Transfer to bowl.
  3. Whisk together brown sugar and ½ cup water in small saucepan, and bring mixture to a boil. Pour brown sugar mixture over ground walnut butter, add vanilla extract, and stir until no lumps remain.
  4. Whisk together oat flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in separate bowl. Stir oat flour mixture into walnut mixture. Cool 10 minutes. Fold in oats, then chocolate chips.
  5. Shape cookie dough into 2-inch balls, and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Flatten cookies with bottom of drinking glass dipped in water. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until cookies begin to brown and tops look dry. Cool 3 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.