Ciarra Siller, creator of the blog Peanut Butter Plus Chocolate, has a new book out, Vegan Chocolate Treats: 60 Indulgent Sweets to Satisfy Your Inner Chocoholic (Paige Street Publishing, 2020; $21.99). This lovely book is filled with enticing recipes that will allow you to give in to your cravings while staying true to your vegan lifestyle. Here’s one of our favorites, a hybrid chocolate-chip-brownie-cookie that delivers satisfaction on all fronts. According to Ciarra, the trick to making them is to “not overbake them. Cookies continue to cook when removed from the oven, so 10 to 12 minutes is just enough time!” Vegan Chocolate Treats is available here.

Makes 22 cookies

Ingredients

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough:

• 1 tablespoon (7 grams) flax meal
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) water
• 1 1⁄4 cups (150 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup (180 grams) vegan chocolate chips
• 6 tablespoons (85 grams) vegan butter, at room temperature
• 1⁄3 cup (75 grams) packed brown sugar
• 1⁄4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Brownie Batter:

• 1 tablespoon (7 grams) flax meal
• 3 tablespoon (45 ml) water
• 1 cup (120 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1⁄4 cup (20 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 cup (90 grams) vegan chocolate chips
• 5 tablespoons (75 grams) vegan butter, at room temperature
• 1⁄3 cup (75 grams) packed brown sugar
• 1⁄3 cup (68 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Flaky sea salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F (180˚C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. To make the chocolate chip cookie dough, in a small bowl, stir together the flax meal and water and then set it aside to gel, about 5 minutes.

3. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda and chocolate chips.

4. In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the flax mixture and stir until well combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula until a dough forms, about 1 minute. Set this dough aside while you prepare the brownies.

5. To make the brownie batter, in a small bowl, stir together the flax meal and water and then set it aside to gel, about 5 minutes.

6. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and chocolate chips.

7. In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla and beat until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the flax mixture and beat until combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula until a dough forms, about 1 minute.

8. Divide both doughs into 22 evenly sized pieces (about 11⁄2 teaspoons [8 g]) and roll them into balls. Take one chocolate chip cookie dough ball and one brownie dough ball and roll them together to make one ball. Place the brownie-cookie on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 11⁄2 inches (3.8 cm) apart. Bake them for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are beginning to crisp. The centers will still be soft but will firm up as the cookies cool. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transfer- ring them to a wire rack to continue cooling for 15 minutes. Sprinkle them with sea salt before serving.

Reprinted with permission from Vegan Chocolate Treats by Ciarra Siller, Page Street Publishing Co. 2020.

Photo credit: Ciarra Siller