Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

[kolka]

I tried to convert Martha Stewart's choc chip cookie recipe to gluten-free and vegan. The original recipe states: "Unlike in recipes for chewy cookies, we used more butter and less brown sugar to produce the ideal thin and crisp cookie." The recipe is:

2 Cups all-purpose flour

1 Teaspoon baking soda

1 Teaspoon salt

2 (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1 Cup granulated sugar

1/2 Cup packed dark-brown sugar

2 Teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 large whole egg, plus 1 large egg white

12 Ounces semisweet chocolate chips, (about 2 cups)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add vanilla, whole egg, and egg white. Beat on low speed until well combined, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed, about 1 minute. Add flour mixture in two batches; mix until just combined. Mix in chocolate chips. Shape 2 heaping tablespoons of dough at a time into balls and place about 1 1/2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are golden brown, about 18 minutes. Transfer parchment and cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

I added 1/2 tsp xanthan (not enough?) and replaced the eggs with 1/3 cup water mixed with 1 TBSP + 1 tsp flax meal. For the 1 cup butter, I used the same amount of NON-hydrogenated coconut oil (the healthy stuff, called oil, but is solid at room temp like butter).

The cookies spread WAY too much. They look like lace cookies. What can I do to make a good vegan chocolate chip cookie? Was it a mistake to use "more butter (coconut) and less brown sugar"?

[missy'smom]

I'm still new at replacing eggs but recently I tried using an egg relacer for two eggs in a recipie. Once I added the water called for and the next time I didn't use the water or used enough for one egg only and it came out better the second time. I'd try using 1/2 the water next time.

[lorka150]

The egg replacer was incorrect. However, I also think that the flax method isn't the best for cookies.

1 egg is 1 tbsp ground flaxseed plus 3 tbsp warm water. So, you would have needed 1 1/2 tbsp. flax + 4 1/2 tbsp. water... Hope that would help.

I don't think the butter sub would have made a difference in this one.

If they aren't tasty, use them for pie crust

[kolka]

Lorka, thank you - what would you use for an egg replacement for cookies? I have the Egg Replacer product, but haven't used it for this. I noticed that you're casein free - we are, too. That's why I'm excited about the coconut butter/oil as a replacement for butter. We are margarine-free, too.

[lorka150]

Hi Kolka,

I use Ener-G in cookies -mostly out of convenience. I use the flax method for breads/muffins.

[babygirl1234]

being that we cant have reg flour what kind of flour can be used?

[kolka]

being that we cant have reg flour what kind of flour can be used?

Sorry, I meant to change that to gluten-free flour mix. I used Bette Hagman's gluten-free blend: 6 parts rice, 2 parts potato starch flour, 1 part tapioca starch flour

[hathor]

A book I've been reading says that, when you substitute coconut oil for margarine in baking (I assume the same thing is true for butter, I don't know why it wouldn't be), you need to use 3/4's as much. So 1 cup of butter would be replaced with 3/4 cup coconut oil. Since your cookies spread too much, it sounds like there was too much fat in them.

[Natasha]

I've had the same problem with the spreading too. What I did was increase the amount of flour I used (Bob's Red Mill all purpose baking mix) til the dough can form balls. Make sure your dough FEELS LIKE and ACTS LIKE cookie dough before your drop it on the cookie sheet. If it doesn't look like the refrigerated cookie dough they sell in the refridgerated section of the grocery store, that it won't turn out right.

Also, did you mix the flax meal and water BEFORE you added it to the dough? When you use egg replacers, you need to mix it separately before you add it into the mix. I found that 1/4 cup firm tofu (pureed) for each egg works best and leaves no after taste.