I’ve been offline for the last month and to make up for it, I’m sharing the recipe for the best vegan cookie I’ve ever baked: Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies. If you’ve baked a better vegan cookie than this, please send me the recipe. I’ve made lots of vegan cookies, many of them delicious (and few less than delicious ones too), but none of them are as satisfying as this one. Seriously, this is one hell of a cookie.

Still need a reason to bake up a batch? How about the inaugural SF Vegan Bakesale? Bake a double batch and raise big bucks for Gimme Shelter Cat Rescue as these are guaranteed to sell better than any hotcakes have ever sold. Let’s see…bake cookies, help the cute kitties find a home. Sounds pretty good to me!

A few notes and bakers tips: There’s a reason these cookies are made with chocolate chunks. They bake better than chocolate chips in this cookie. Sure, you could use chocolate chips, but a chopped quality chocolate like Green & Blacks 70% bar will yield better results.

I generally bake these without any dried fruit, but for those who need fruit in their oatmeal cookie, go with dried cranberries or dried cherries. With all of the sugar and chocolate, raisins would make these cookies over the top sweet. The tang of cranberries adds a nice contrast to the sweetness that’s more pleasing.

I don’t recommend making these smaller. Using the ¼ cup measure to measure the dough produces the perfect size for a crunchy outside and a soft chewy inside. If you need more cookies, double the recipe instead of making them smaller.

These cookies keep for 4 to 5 days in an airtight container or zipper bag, but they will lose their crisp exterior and become uniformly chewy after a day or so (not necessarily a bad thing).

Vegan Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2 1/4 cups rolled oats , old-fashioned,
1 cup dried cranberries or dried cherries, chopped coarse (optional)
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate , chopped into chunks (approx. 3/4 cup)
12 tablespoons Earth Balance Buttery Sticks (1 1/2 sticks), softened but still cool
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
Ener-G egg replacer equivalent to 1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions; heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large (18 by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking pad.

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. In second medium bowl, stir together oats, chocolate chunks and dried cranberries (if using).

In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, beat butter and sugar at medium speed until no sugar lumps remain, about 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula; add egg replacer and vanilla and beat on medium-low speed until fully incorporated. Scrape down bowl; with mixer running at low speed, add flour mixture; mix until just combined, about 30 seconds. With mixer still running on low, gradually add oat/nut mixture; mix until just incorporated. Give dough final stir with rubber spatula to ensure that no flour pockets remain and ingredients are evenly distributed.

Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup scoop out ¼ cup of dough, then roll between palms into balls about 2 inches in diameter. Place balls on each baking sheet, spacing them about 2 1/2 inches apart. Using hands or underside of measuring cup, gently press each dough ball to 1 inch thickness.

Bake both baking sheets 12 minutes, rotate them front to back and top to bottom, then continue to bake until cookies are medium brown and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft (cookies may seem underdone and will appear raw, wet, and shiny in cracks), 8 to 10 minutes longer. Do not overbake.

Cool cookies on baking sheets on wire rack 5 minutes; using wide metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack and cool to room temperature.

Pour a glass of rice milk and enjoy!