Whole Grain Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've been bad...so bad...I'm still drinking fresh juices daily but it was rainy and chilly on Saturday and I just wanted to turn on the oven and bake something yummy.  The good thing about making chocolate chip cookies is that they can satisfy your sweet tooth within 30 minutes.  The bad thing is that it's hard to eat just one!  So I've had my fill over the past three days.  There's nothing like drinking healthy juice and eating cookies at the same time--my body is really confused!  The daffodils are just because they brighten up a gloomy day and are my second favorite flower to tulips!

 
So here's the recipe...not that you need another chocolate chip cookie recipe but I found these to be perfect.  Crunchy out the outside while moist on the inside and they were better the next day, and the next day...unfortunately. 

Ingredients

(Makes 2 dozen)

1 1/2 cups organic whole grain spelt flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp kosher salt

1 stick Earth Balance Buttery Sticks (I used 6 Tbsp Earth Balance Buttery Sticks and 2 Tbsp Spectrum Organic All Vegetable Butter Flavor Shortening Non-Hydrogenated).  I like the crunch and airiness it gives the cookies--but using all Earth Balance is fine too.)

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup organic unbleached cane sugar

1 flax egg (1 Tbsp ground flaxmeal with 3 Tbsp room temperature filtered water, whisked)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup vegan semisweet chocolate chips

Method

• Preheat oven to 350 and position racks on upper and lower portion of oven.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer place room temperature butter and sugar and mix on medium for about 3 minutes until creamy.  Add flax egg mixture and vanilla and mix until combined.
• In another bowl, sift and whisk together dry ingredients (not including chocolate chips) and then add to butter-sugar mixture and mix until ingredients are just incorporated.  You don't want to over mix the flour and develop the gluten or your cookies will be tough.  Then with the motor running add the chocolate chips until combined.
• Using a small ice cream scoop (about 1-1/2 Tbsp) place 12 evenly spaced scoops on two cookie trays and flatten slightly with your fingers.  Bake in the oven for 12-14 minutes (turning and switching the trays after 7 minutes) until golden brown around the edges, but tender in the center.  Remove from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Hope you enjoy and stay tuned for more juicing recipes once the gloomy rain goes away!