You can make delicious cookies without butter, eggs or any animal products. Vegan cookie recipes typically replace the butter with margarine or vegetable oils and the eggs with a wide range of substitutes, including ground flax seeds, cornstarch or arrowroot, mashed bananas or commercially produced egg replacers. Even if you do not eat a strict vegetarian diet, you may benefit from baking vegan cookies, particularly if you have children who suffer from allergies to dairy or egg products.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
The basic vegan chocolate chip cookie tastes a bit like store-bought soft baked cookies. They are a bit healthier, though, because they do not contain hydrogenated oils. To make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a bowl, combine 2/3 cup canola or other vegetable oil with 1/4 cup soy milk or water, 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 tbsp. cornstarch and 2 tsp. vanilla extract. Beat for one minute with a hand mixer, and then let it rest for three minutes. Beat for another minute, let rest, and then beat again. The mixture will become thick and resemble caramel. Add 1.5 cups all-purpose flour, 1/4 tsp. baking soda, 1/4 tsp. baking powder and 1/4 tsp. salt to the caramel mixture. Stir well to incorporate. Fold in 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Drop cookies by tablespoons onto greased cookie sheets. Bake for nine to 10 minutes, or until just set and slightly golden brown. You should be able to make about 24 cookies. Cool on baking sheets.
Quinoa Raisin Cookies
Quinoa is a healthy whole grain that also works well in cookies. If you do not have quinoa, replace it with oatmeal. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grind 1 cup uncooked quinoa (or oats) in a spice grinder or food processor until it is coarse. Combine with 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. baking powder in a large bowl. Cream together 1/2 cup margarine, 1/2 cup packed brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar with a mixer. Add in 1 tsp. vanilla and 2 tsp. flax seeds mixed with 1 tbsp. water. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the sugar and margarine, beating on low speed with the mixer. After the flour and quinoa are incorporated, fold in 1/2 cup raisins. You can also add a 1/2 cup chocolate chips if you want. Drop by tablespoons onto baking sheets and bake for nine minutes. You should get about 24 cookies. Cool on cooling racks.
Snickerdoodles
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Cream together 1/2 cup margarine and 1 cup granulated sugar. You can replace the margarine with 1/3 cup vegetable oil, if you wish. Combine 1 tbsp. cornstarch with 1 tbsp. water and add to sugar and margarine mixture. Pour in 1 tsp. vanilla extract. Combine 1.5 cups all-purpose flour, 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar and 1/4 tsp. baking soda. Add one-half the flour mixture to the sugar and margarine mixture, and mix well to incorporate. Add the remaining flour, and mix well. In a small bowl, combine 1 tbsp. sugar with 1 tbsp. cinnamon. Scoop the dough into tablespoon-sized balls. Roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar, and place on a baking sheet. Flatten each dough ball with a fork, making a cross-hatch pattern. Bake cookies for 10 minutes. You should get about 18 cookies. Let cool on a cooling rack.
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