Salted Dark Chocolate Cookies
I think that these may be the best vegan cookies that I have ever made. Scratch that. These salted dark chocolate cookies are the best cookies that I have ever made and the fact that they happen to be vegan is neither here nor there. Whether you are on a permanently plant-based diet or just experimenting with alternative ingredients, these cookies are a delicious treat that everyone will enjoy.
The quality of the ingredients used is part of what makes these salted dark chocolate cookies so amazing Food Thoughts Luxury Dark Chocolate Chips add a wonderfully intense bite to the cookies, without the over sweetness of mainstream chocolate chips. And the Oak Smoked Sea Salt Flakes from Hawkhead Kitchen give them a smoky note that complements the chocolate perfectly. I like to serve these warm from the oven, with a generous spoonful of vegan ice-cream, though they will be just as delicious when fully cooled with a cup of tea.
Recipe created by cake designer Charlotte White
You will need
- 250g Stork margarine
- 100g golden caster sugar
- 50g light muscovado sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 2tsp smoked sea salt flakes (such as Hawkhead)
- 325g plain flour
- 150g Food Thoughts Luxury Dark Chocolate Chips
- You will need:
- 2x baking sheets lined with baking parchment
- Preheat Oven:
- 180⁰C / 350⁰F / Gas Mark 4
Method
Cream together the margarine and sugars until smooth. The paddle attachment of a free-standing mixer will make light work of this, though an electric handwhisk or a wooden spoon will also work.
Add the vanilla and Oak Smoked Sea Salt Flakes and combine thoroughly.
Add the Food Thoughts Luxury Dark Chocolate Chips and flour into the mixture and combine into a dough.
Remove the dough from the mixer and wrap in clingfilm, rolling it into one long log shape as you wrap. Make the width of the log to the same size as you would like your cookies to be as, once chilled, you will be cutting your cookies from this dough.
Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.
Once chilled, slice cookies from the log. You can make these as thick as you like and I have had as many as 24 cookies from this single batch. Personally, I prefer my cookies to be enormous if possible! If the cookies get a little squashed as you slice them, just squeeze them back into rounds with your hands. Arrange the cookies on lined baking sheets with a little room to spread out.
Refrigerate the cookies on their baking sheet for 10 minutes to keep the dough firm while you pre-heat the oven.
Just before baking, sprinkle each cookie with a little extra Oak Smoked Sea Salt Flakes. I love a little hit of salt from each bite but you can leave this step out if you prefer.
Bake in a preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, until the cookies have a golden tinge to them. Allow them to cool on the baking sheet for a further 10 minutes before eating them warm or allow them to cool completely and store in an airtight container. They won’t last long!