Back in the day, my friend used to host a cookie exchange party every year. Everyone would bring about 40-50 cookies and the recipe printed out on an index card. Each person would get to take 2 of each type of cookie as well as the recipe for each cookie. It was an awesome party and it's something I miss doing each year. I am ecstatic to tell you all, however, that tfor the last month, I've been hosting a vegan version of this cookie swap party, with tons of guest posts from some of my favorite bloggers. Today I wrap it up with my own contribution.
Growing up, Christmas was all about the chocolate.
Okay, maybe it wasn't all about the chocolate, but boy did it play a significant part.
Santa knew me way too well, so he would fill my stocking with a giant chocolate santa, chocolate covered marshmallow snowmen, and chocolate covered peanut butter christmas trees. He would also throw in some festively wrapped hershey kisses for good measure. Then there was the bowl of red and green m&m's on my grandma's coffee table that, for some reason, she had to keep refilling. There was also my mom's fudge and the platter of chocolate chip cookies and brownies that had no limit because, hey, it's Christmas!
Every year, when trying to sort out my holiday baking, I find it hard to not incorporate chocolate into all of my creations. I have to keep reminding myself that not everybody loves chocolate the way that I do (those crazy relatives- you know who I'm talking about).
This year, I decided to combine all of my chocolate needs into one cookie. Four kinds of chocolate join forces to make this holiday treat: cocoa powder, bars of super dark chocolate (88% cacao!), chocolate extract, and vegan dark chocolate chips. And if you wanted to be even more hard-core, you could melt cocoa butter with the chocolate, in place of the butter. But that's only for the truly hard-core chocolate lovers. Hard. Core.
If you have any chocolate lovers on your list, or you've been looking for that last minute gift for yourself someone special, these cookies are begging you to make them.
Ingredients
- 1 cup gluten-free flour (or all-purpose flour)
- 3 tablespoons dutch-process cocoa
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon xanthum gum (only if using gluten-free flour, optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup vegan dark chocolate, chopped
- 3 tablespoons vegan butter
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 2 teaspoons chocolate extract
- 1 cup vegan chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix together your dry ingredients.
- Heat your cup of chopped chocolate with the vegan butter in a in a large glass bowl over a pot of boiling water. Once it is fully melted, remove from heat. Add in the rest of the wet ingredients and mix thoroughly.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator.
- Using a tablespoon to scoop heaping spoonfuls of dough onto the cookie sheet. Wet the bottom of a measuring cup and use it to lightly flatten each of the cookies. If desired, sprinkle each cookie with a very tiny bit of sea salt (I used pink himalayan sea salt because I like to be fancy). Place in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, until edges are browned but centers are still slightly soft. Remove from oven and let them cool on the sheet for about 2-3 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. It's best to let them cool completely before serving, but it would be a sin not to try one while they're hot. Enjoy!
Photography by Chris Miller
Thank you so much for keeping up with my vegan cookie swap party! I have been absolutely blown away by the creativity and thought that went into each cookie- all of you ladies are incredible and I am so thankful that you participated. I can not wait to do it again next year! I wish you all the happiest of holidays! Have a fantastic rest of your week and I'll catch you before the new year!
Be sure to check out the rest of the cookies at the party:
Richa`
this is insaneness! Chocolate chocolate chocolate and chocolate!:) send send over pronto please:) Merry Christmas to you and everyone! awesome neighbors and gifts btw:) i guess when they get a steady supply of these kind of goodies, they put you on the top of their chart for amazing gifts:)
keepinitkind
Thank you! I don't often share with my neighbors as we really only see each other in passing, but the neighbor who gave me all the books definitely had a nice little gift waiting for her Christmas morning. 🙂
Gabby @ the veggie nook
Oh wow those are insane! I'll take a double batch please 🙂 What a lovely gift for your neighbours- you must be the favourites! Merry Christmas Kristy and thanks for hosting such a fun blog party! I've loved every post 🙂
keepinitkind
Thank you, Gabby, for being a part of it! 🙂
Caitlin
these look phenomenal, lady!!! you can't go wrong with quadruple chocolate chip cookies. i'm imagining eating one now and it tastes AMAZING. definitely making these!!!
keepinitkind
I hope you like them, Cailtin! xo
Cadry
Oh, my gosh! These look so amazing! Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate! This has been such a fun cookie party, and I've been amazed by all of the creative and mouthwatering contributions. So for January... A month of smoothies and juices? 😉
keepinitkind
This cookie party has been so fun- thank you so much for participating! It will definitely be happening again next year! 🙂
jodye @ chocolate and chou fleur
Not that I necessarily need any more cookies after Christmas, but I do think that I should make these. They just look too good!
keepinitkind
If you make them, Jodye, I hope you like them! 🙂
Heather
Justin would love me and you forever if I made thses for you, he LOVES chocolate - I am going to have to gove these a spin!....maybe in febraury for Valentines Day!!
keepinitkind
If Justin loves chocolate, he will love these cookies- sounds like a great Valentine's Day gift to me! 😉
Cindy (Vegetarian Mamma)
You had me at "quadruple chocolate" YUMMO My name is Cindy and I blog over at Vegetarianmamma.com I wanted to invite you to link up your recipe and any others at our Gluten Free Fridays Recipe Link up party! It happens every Friday and we'd love to have you join us with some of your awesome recipes! It doesn't mean that you have to be a gluten free bloggers. If you have some recipes on your blog that are gluten free that counts! 🙂 Many recipes are naturally gluten free.
Also be sure to link up your blog on our Gluten Free Bloggers directory. You can reach the directory by clicking the "glutenfree bloggers" tab on our blog! Thanks, Cindy 🙂
keepinitkind
Thank you, Cindy. 🙂
Somer
These look so so good Kristy! The cookie exchange was super awesome.I hope you plan on doing it again next year 🙂
keepinitkind
Thank you so much- you can plan on it! 🙂
Marina
Hi, is the coconut sugar in the ingredients list supposed to be coconut oil?? Thanks!
keepinitkind
No, it's supposed to be coconut sugar. Coconut sugar is a healtier alternative to regular granulated sugar because it has a higher nutrient content and has a low glycemic index so it doesn't affect your blood sugar levels as much. It used to be harder to find, but now it's more readily available at most health food stores (with all the other sugar/sweeteners). 🙂
Marina
Wow, I made the recipe last night using half a cup of coconut oil instead of the coconut sugar (thinking since it said to melt the chocolate in oil) and they actually came out great! Were a hit at a party I took them to. The only thing that seemed strange is that they were a tricky to form since I stuck em in the fridge and the coconut oil hardened. Thanks for the clarification, I'll be sure to try them the correct way once I get some coconut sugar 🙂
keepinitkind
I'm glad to hear that they were a hit! Regular, granulated sugar will work too, if you're in a pinch. 🙂
Kate
Kristy, I also noticed what marina is mentioning- your instructions say to melt the chocolate with the coconut OIL, but there is no coconut oil in the ingredients list. I'm assuming to melt the chocolate with the vegan butter and then add the other 'wet' ingredients, including the coconut sugar? I'm about to make these now and this caught my eye also- if im totally misreading this, my apologies! Thank you about an hour in advance for what I'm sure will be some amazing cookies 🙂
keepinitkind
Yes, you are correct, Kate. Use the vegan butter. My original recipe was with coconut oil, but I liked it better with the vegan butter. I changed it in the ingredients, but not in the instructions. I'll be changing that right now- So sorry for the confusion! Enjoy!