Finally, the perfected chocolate chip cookie. It’s got a slight chew, perfectly crisp edges, a soft center, and the perfect browned butter flavour. They spread to perfection whilst still remaining a little thick, and to finish it off, they are stuffed with chocolate chunks and a little flaky salt…
For the past few weeks I have been working on the PERFECT cookie and it’s safe to say I have finally got it. And of course, I am going to share it with you.
Also, this recipe requires no chilling and is completely plant-based!
JUMP TO:
• What you’ll need
• FAQ’s
• History of cookies
• Recipe
What you’ll need
Ingredients list:
• Vegan butter | It’s important to use the right type of butter for the best cookie. I use block butter as it has less water content. I recommend Flora block or Naturli.
• Brown sugar | This is important for a soft and chewy cookie. I use light-brown. You can also make this yourself by combining 1tbsp treacle per cup white sugar.
• White sugar | I use granulated but caster sugar will also work. The addition of white sugar creates the perfect balance of chew and crisp.
• Vanilla | It’s important to use good quality vanilla for the best flavour. Check your extract to see the vanilla percentage. If it contains syrup – throw it out.
• Flax egg | This is the egg replacement. To make a flax egg, combine 1tbsp flax meal and 2tbsp water. Let this sit for a few minutes until jelly-like texture.
• Flour | Use plain flour (all purpose).
• Baking soda | This will help the cookies spread.
• Cornflour | This ingredient may seem strange, but it allows the cookie to be a little thicker with a better texture.
• Salt | This brings out the flavour. Even if you use salted butter (I always do), still add a little salt.
• Vegan chocolate | I use a mix of dark (about 60%) and light (about 30%) chocolate bars cut into chunks.
FAQ’s
• What can I use instead of a flax egg? | You could use a chia egg or aquafaba, both work well!
• Why do you use chocolate chunks? | Although most recipes use chocolate chips, chocolate chunks create wonderful melty pools of chocolate throughout the cookie, whereas chocolate chips tend to hold their shape.
• Why brown the butter? | This provides a slightly nutty flavour to the cookies, and also evaporates some of the water in the butter.
• Why re-solidify the butter? | I love browned butter, but melted butter has a different effect on cookies than solid does. So to get the best of both worlds, I first brown the butter and then let it completely solidify. This gives the best flavour and texture.
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.
The best vegan chocolate chip cookies
prep time: 20mins / serves: 10 / cook time: 10 mins
Ingredients:
• 113g vegan butter
• 75g light-brown sugar
• 65g granulated sugar
• 1 flax egg
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 173g plain flour
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 130g vegan chocolate, chopped
• flaky salt
Method:
① Prepare the butter.
• In a saucepan, add 113g butter. Let it bubble for a few minutes over medium-high heat until fully translucent and it smells slightly nutty.
• To a medium sized bowl, weigh the melted butter. Because some of the water has evaporated, it should now weigh around 15g less (approx. 98g).
• Add more cold butter until the scale reaches 110g.
• Place the melted butter into the freezer until just solid.
② Begin the dough.
• Pre-heat the oven to 180c / 160c (fan oven) if baking immediately.
• To a large bowl, add the butter, sugars and vanilla. Beat to combine.
• Add the flax egg and fold to combine.
• Add the flour, baking soda, salt and cornflour. Fold to briefly combine.
• Add the chocolate chunks and fold to combine.
③ Shape & bake.
• With a small cookie scoop (or your hands) divide the dough into 10 balls.
• At this stage, I like to rip each ball in two and re-shape the balls with the torn parts at the top. This creates a wonderful texture.
• Place on a lined baking sheet (5 on each sheet works well).
• Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown – they should be soft in the middle with a slight crisp on the edges, if they are not ready after 10 minutes bake again in 2 minute increments.
• Take the sheets out of the oven, give them a bang on the counter, and let them cool before moving to a cooling rack.
• Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and enjoy.
NOTES
• If you would like to make these cookies in advance, shape the balls and seal them. You can store them in the fridge for a few days, or in the freezer for a few months. The baking time may vary slightly if frozen, but they still come out perfectly.
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