Sunday, July 11, 2010

Vegan and/or Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Buzz Buzz Cookies

Today I made my first-ever batch of vegan, gluten-free Double Chocolate Buzz Buzz cookies. I was a bit nervous about the endeavor, but I needn't have been -- it was simply a matter of making some substitutions and adjustments, and baking the cookies at a higher temperature. I still have some work to do before the modified cookies could pass for the originals -- the flavor is virtually identical but the texture is not -- but I think I can share the recipe in good conscience. Speaking of which, these are not healthy cookies by any means, nor are the originals!

Vegan, Gluten-Free Variation
Follow the original recipe, with these modifications:
- Increase baking temperature to 350 degrees F.
- Make sure your sugar and chocolate are vegan. (I use vegan brands anyway.)
- Substitute 1-1/2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour or baking mix for the wheat flour. (Note: If using baking mix, omit the baking powder and baking soda in the original recipe, as the baking mix should already contain leavening agents.)
- Substitute 1/3 cup coconut oil or vegan butter (e.g., Earth Balance) for the dairy butter. (I used coconut oil, which was a too greasy for my liking.)
- Substitute 2 chia "eggs" for the 2 chicken eggs: stir together 2 tablespoons chia seeds and 6 tablespoons water in a small bowl, and let the mixture sit until it becomes gelatinous.
- Reduce white sugar to 1/4 cup.
- Flatten the cookies slightly before baking.
Note: The chia "eggs" are quite crunchy, and the coconut oil quite greasy, so I'm going to experment with applesauce and flax meal.

Gluten-Free Variation
Follow the original recipe, increasing the oven temp to 350 degrees F and:
- Substitute 1-1/2 cups gluten-free flour or baking mix for the wheat flour. (See note, above.)
- Reduce white sugar to 1/4 cup.
- As instructed above, flatten the cookies slightly before baking.

Special thanks to Katie at Sweet Tater for the chia eggs recipe.

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