As we mentioned before, we LOVE LOVE LOVE it when our friends stop by bearing delicious treats!  Well, not only is Ms. Siobhan O’Loughlin a multi-threat artist, she also happens to be one hell of a baker!  We are stoked to share her adapted (from Babycakes NYC) Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwich recipe!

You will need:

For the Cookies:

1 cup coconut oil

6 tablespoons applesauce

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 cups flour

¼ cup flax meal

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 ½ teaspoons buckwheat flour

1 cup (vegan) chocolate chips

For the Icing:

½ cup nonhydrogenated shortening

½ cup nonhydrogenated margarine

3 ½ cups powdered sugar

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

¼ cup soy creamer (or any soy/almond/nondairy milk you like)

This is how we do it:

The Cookies-

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets w parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together the oil, applesauce (Babycakes gives a recipe to make it, but I say, store bought is way easier), salt, vanilla, and sugar (if you want to go sugar free, hit up some evaporated cane juice.)

3. In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour (any kind of gluten free flour will work if you want to switch out for gluten free options—I say try garbanzo bean flour!), flax meal, baking soda, and buckwheat flour (again, for the gluten free people, do xanthan gum! Though it is mega expensive.)

4. Using a rubber spatula, carefully add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until a granny dough is formed. Gently fold in the chocolate chips just until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.

5. Turn that dough into circle shapes to place on the parchment paper. I use a basic spoon to scoop it out of the bowl and roll into tiny balls with my hands. Gently press each with the heel of your hand to help them spread.

6. Bake the cookies on the center rack for 15 minutes, rotating the sheets 180 degrees after 9 minutes. The finished cookies will be crispy on the edges and soft in the center—perfection.

7. Give them ten minutes to cool.

You can either stop right here! OR go crazy and make this amazing icing, slather it between two cookies and BAM everyone you share with will be in sugar/food comas, but they will probably want to marry you, so you win in the end.   So, without further adieu….

The Icing-

1. Beat the shortening and margarine together until it fluffs up!

2. Gently add the sugar as its beating along.

3. Then add the vanilla and soy milk until you’ve got a solid ‘ butter-cream’ going. You can vary this for cupcakes, cake, cookie icings in general—add different extracts to it, colors, or cookie crumbles (I use oreos sometimes) and then you’ve reached vegan dessert nirvana.

And everyone will love you for it, vegan/gluten free, or otherwise.

Thanks Siobhan!  PS- We are out and need more! 😉