saint_monkey

This came up a few months ago at

dagoski's, There was a (let's call it, "Creative") recipe made that involved charging up the gluten in wheat with hot water to replace the binding properties of egg protiens. The result was kind of a "chocolate chip brittle." I remarked that I had a few vegan recipes, and today while cleaning up, I remenbered that I promised to post them:

This first one is a variant of "Auntie Nuke's Nuggets" from the Uprising Baking Collective in Berkeley, CA. I'll post the original recipe and my suggestions for variations based upon

dagoski's known weaknesses. I've made this a few times, and I like it quite a bit. I usually add a little less maple syrup though. say only 1 and 1/2 cups. It uses fruit pectin as a binder.

Dry:

1 Tbl Nutritional yeast. (Aka "Brewer's Yeast." Everybody should have this around, it's great stuff, especially on popcorn. Leave it in if you can.)
(I'm not sure about a yeast-sensitivity, but it can be subbed out by a half teaspoon or more of salt, which is what the yeast in this is intended to replace, it isn't needed for any CO₂ production.)
1 Cup Chopped Cashews.
(Can be completely omitted, it's here to add bulk to the recipe, and because toasted cashews and maple syrup rock together. I'd add my Chocolate Chips here for the bulk, half a bag or to taste.)
1 Cup shredded coconut. (As a sweetener, and to add a fiber to hold together the cookie. You could use oats for this.)
slightly more than 3 1/2 Cups of Whole Wheat Pastry flour. (normal Unbleached White Flour will work fine. Pastry flour has less gluten, and is intended for pie crusts, in a cookie, we just don't need to be that picky.)
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 Cup of Date pieces
(This is actually here to act as a binder, and take the place of eggs. you can use a cup of an unsweetened fruit jam or jelly in place of dates, which are expensive.)

Wet:
2 cups maple syrup (that's alot, you can cut it down for a less-sweet cookie, esp, with the chips in play, or you could go full bore, up to you.)
1 Tbl vanilla extract
1 Cup Oil. (Yup, you read that right. You might could sub vegetable shortening or margerine to your tastes, I'd soften it up a bit. But I've always made it with canola oil, and althought it looks scary, the cookies come out just fine, and with a nice crunch.)

Combine "Dry" ingredients, and "Wet" ingredients in separate bowls, then mix them together until they have the consistency of peanut butter.

Drop spoonfulls onto an oiled cookie sheet. These whould be healthy spoonfulls, and they should have a "high profile," rising far above the cookie sheet. I use a tablespoon to scoop out golf ball sized chunks.

Cook at 325 degrees F for 17 minutes or until just beginning to brown, (as long as, say 21 minutes, depending on your oven.)

(For those not allergic to cashews, add frozen cranberries to the dry ingredients. The maple, cashews, and cranberries make for a really unusual and very tasty cookie.)

Nizlet's Chocolate Chip Cookies.

This second recipe is from the Seattle branch of Earth First's fundraising cookbook. I've never tried it, but I think these are the cookies made at the "Globe Cafe" in Seattle. If so, they rock. It uses egg substitute as a binder.

1 Cup whole wheat flour
2 Cups rolled oats
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
zest of two lemons
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup margarine
1/3 cup brown rice syrup (sub maple syrup if you like, it is a little sweeter than brown rice syrup, and easier to find)
2 egg substitutes
1/2 cup strong coffee
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup chocolate chips (or more)

preheat overn to 350
mix flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, zest, and salt in one bowl.
cream margarine, syrup, egg substitute, coffee, and vanilla in another bowl
add dry a little at a time to the wet ingredients, once incorporated, add chocolate chips

drop walnut sized blobs onto greased cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes.