butterfly bakery blog

If you are going to make one cookie recipe this veganuary, please let it be this one! Trust me, you will not regret it. Imagine the best winter flavours combined into a chewy, soft, bakery style cookie, ready in under an hour. Your taste buds will thank you. This month is dedicated to a plant based diet, and I am here to give you the best experience in the plant based world as possible.

These cookies consist of a coffee infused dough, melty dark chocolate chunks and crunchy toasted pistachios, topped off with flaky sea salt. Imagine the best cup of coffee you have ever had, transformed into a fancy (but easy) cookie recipe! To achieve that signature crackly top and chewy texture, I use aquafaba. This is the liquid residue from canned legumes, strongest in chickpeas, however lentils also work. This works as the “egg”, providing similar structure and the perfect flat chewy cookie.

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Other cookie recipes you may be interested in:

Vegan sourdough triple chocolate walnut cookies

Vegan chewy gingerbread dark chocolate cookies

Vegan brown butter oatmeal chocolate cookies

Equipment & Ingredient notes

Equipment needed:

• Large mixing bowl
• Stand mixer / electric hand whisk
• Spatula / wooden spoon
• Measuring spoons
• Kitchen scales / measuring cups
• Cookie sheets

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Ingredient list:

• Plant butter ~ Use softened butter, salted or unsalted will work. Vegan block butter or spreadable will work fine.
• Brown sugar ~ This creates a chewy, flavourful cookie. To make your own brown sugar, combine 1tbsp molasses (treacle) per 1 cup white sugar. Combine with hands/fork until you have brown sugar!
• Caster sugar ~ You can substitute this for granulated sugar.
• Vanilla ~ For the best flavour, use high quality vanilla extract/paste.
• Aquafaba ~ Use the liquid residue from canned chickpeas or lentils.
• Coffee Powder ~ You can also use granules.
• Flour ~ Be sure to use plain (all purpose) flour, otherwise the cookie will rise like a cake!
• Baking powder ~ This will help spread the cookie and maintain the texture.
• Baking soda ~ This will also help spread the cookie, it’s not the same as baking powder!
• Salt ~ Use fine sea salt in the dough and sea salt flakes to top.
• Plant chocolate ~ I use 50% cocoa for a more indulgent flavour, I use chunks for melted chocolate pools, however chips will work.
• Pistachio ~ Chop these into small chunks reserving some for the tops.

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Step by step Instructions

• Prepare two cookie sheets with parchment paper, set aside.
• To a large mixing bowl, add plant butter and both sugars.
• With an electric whisk, whip until fluffy and pale.
• In a small ramekin, dissolve the coffee powder in the vanilla extract.
• Add to the butter bowl along with the aquafaba, whip until fluffy.
• Add the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder.
• Fold until briefly combined, flour clumps & streaks will remain.
• Add in the chocolate and pistachio chunks, fold until combined.
• Scoop into 12 balls and place on a sheet.
• Add a few extra chocolate and pistachio chunks to the top of each.
• Place the dough balls into the freezer for 15-20 minutes.
• In the meantime, pre-heat oven to 180c/160c (fan).
• Place the cookie dough balls on two cookie sheets, place in the oven.
• Bake for 15 minutes until flattened and slightly crisp on the edges.
• Let cool on the tray, sprinkle over flaky sea salt and let cool (or eat warm!), enjoy 🙂

The History of Cookies

Cookies place of origin is in Persia where they date back as early as the 7th century AD. Persia was one of the first countries ever to grow and harvest sugar cane. Cookies are thought to have started off being an oven temperature tester. So many bakers would bake what are now known as ‘cookies’ to test if the oven temperature was right, before putting their baked good into the oven. 

By the 14th century, cookies had spread through out the whole of Europe and were enjoyed by all levels of society, from royal cuisine to street venders. 

Cookies were first introduced to America by the English in the 1600s. At this time, cookies went by many names like small cakes, seed biscuits, and tea cakes. Cookies got their name as we know it today in America. 

Vegan coffee infused dark chocolate pistachio cookies

prep time: 20 mins / serves: 12 / cook time: 15 mins

• ingredients
• 168g plant butter, softened (3/4 cups)
• 165g brown sugar* (3/4 cups)
• 50g white sugar (1/4 cup)
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 2 tbsp aquafaba*
• 2 tbsp coffee powder
• 218g plain flour / all purpose (1 + 3/4 cups)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 80g plant chocolate chunks, 50% cocoa (1/2 cup)
• 70g pistachio chunks (1/3 cup)
• flaky sea salt for topping

• method
• Prepare 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Cut up the chocolate and pistachios into reasonable size chunks.
• To a large bowl add the plant butter and sugars.
• With an electric whisk whip until pale and fluffy.
• Dissolve the coffee powder in the vanilla extract in a cup.
• Add to the butter bowl along with aquafaba, whip again until fluffy.
• Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• Fold until briefly combined, allowing flour streaks to remain.
• Add most of the chocolate and pistachio chunks, saving some for later.
• Fold until fully combined, no flour streaks should remain now.
• Scoop into 12 equal sized balls and place on a tray.
• Add the leftover chocolate and pistachio chunks to the top of each ball.
• Place in the freezer for 15 mins minimum.
• Pre-heat the oven to 180c (conventional) / 160c (fan).
• Bake in the oven for 15 minutes until flat and with slightly crisp edges.
• Let cool completely on the tray and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
• Enjoy, preferably with plant milk or a hot drink!

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• NOTES
• To make your own brown sugar, combine 1tbsp molasses (treacle) per 1 cup white sugar. Mix together with a fork until you reach brown sugar texture. To speed things up, place in the microwave for a few seconds to make it easier to combine.
• Aquafaba is used as the egg replacement, it cannot be skipped! It is the liquid left from canned legumes, use either chickpea, lentil or white bean.

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