Best "Healthy" Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here is a GREAT cookie that will surprise anyone when you announce that they are vegan.

Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup Brown Sugar (Kosher/Vegan), firmly packed
1/2 cup Organic Sugar or Evap. Cane
1 cup Earthbalance Soy Margarine, cool – not cold
1 Tb Ener-G Dry Egg Replacer
1/4 cup Warm Water
2-3 t Vanilla Extract
2 1/2 Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1 cup Wheat Bran
1 t Baking Powder
1 t Baking Soda
1/2 t Salt
1 cup Dark Chocolate Chips

1. Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, combine sugar, brown sugar, and soy margarine. (Margaine CANNOT be melty - this will create flat lifeless cookies that will frustrate and disappoint you! It must be cool, only 5 minutes out of the frig. Work it with the mixer spokes before you turn it on. Then let the friction do the work.) Blend with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg replacer, water and vanilla and continue mixing until even more light and fluffy.

2. In a separate large bowl, whisk together whole wheat pastry flour, wheat bran, baking powder, baking soda and salt to combine. Fold the butter and sugar mixture into the dry ingredients. Then add 1 cup of dark chocolate chips, fold them into the dough.

3. This is the key to great looking cookies (taste is already mastered if you followed the above directions). Using an ice cream scoop or some uniform scoop, portion out equal sized balls of dough, then roll them in your hands and shape like a hockey puck.

4. The formed dough should be chilled for 15-30 minutes prior to baking, otherwise you will have a cookie sheet full of crispy cookies all melted together. Once chilled, bake for 15 minutes. Each oven may vary, so check after 12 minutes, rotate pan if they still need more time and check every 2 minutes. The finished cookie will have just an hint of brown on the edges. If you like them more crispy, bake longer – but they are great chewy!

5. You can double this recipe and store the formed dough “pucks” in a well sealed container in the refrigerator for a week. The dough is great raw, and since it’s vegan, help yourself without worry and let the kids enjoy a safe spoon-full.

Super Cookies

I created these cookies a few years ago when I was asked to lead a presentation on healthy foods at a Relay For Life event. Most of the recipes I shared that day were things you don't want to live without, but if you've survived cancer you might be looking for alternative ways of making your favorites. These cookies are vegan, loaded with healthy grains, seeds, fiber and nuts. Ideally they are made with maple syrup or agave syrup and all organic ingredients. Oh yeah, they are SO good!

Preheat oven to 350

Ingredients:
1 cup Organic Maple Syrup
1 cup Earth Balance Soy Margarine
2 Tb Ener-G Dry Egg Replacer
½ cup Filtered Water
1 cup Organic, no sugar added Applesauce
1 ½ Tb Organic Vanilla Extract
5 cups Organic Rolled Oats
2 cups Organic Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
2 cups Organic Wheat or Oat Bran
½ cup Ground Organic Flax Meal
4 tea. Organic Cinnamon
2 tea. Baking Powder
2 tea. Baking Soda
1 tea. Kosher/Sea Salt
½ cup Dried Organic Fruits: raisins, cranberries, figs, etc.
½ cup Organic Nuts and Seeds: pecans, pumpkin, sunflower, etc.
1-2 Tb Organic Orange Zest

Cream the maple syrup and soy margarine in a mixer until light and fluffy. Mix in egg replacer, water, applesauce and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet in thirds until just combined. Add nuts, fruits, and orange zest and mix. Using an ice cream scoop, portion the dough and shape each like a hockey puck with hands. Place on a non-stick cookie sheet. Bake 14-16 minutes. Enjoy!