Salted Oatmeal Chocolate Chip & Cherry Cookies

Yesterday, after work, Todd spent a few hours visiting with his cousin that just came back into the big city. Todd also happens to have his lunch taken care of today. Do you know what this means? This means that I didn't have to make dinner yesterday! Which means, ultimately, that I was blessed with the freedom to make whateeeeeeever I wanted to stuff my face with for dinner. Oh yes.  Welcome to a glimpse of what my life would be like if I weren't married. It's cookies. Just cookies. Cookies. All. The. Time. Cookies for breakfast, for lunch, and for dinner, obviously. At least I went quasi-healthy with these cookies and packed them full of oats, cherries, and nuts.

This recipe is based off a recipe my mom used to make. I don't know what recipe it is or where she got it from, but she used to make them all the time. Everyone loved these cookies and I haven't had them in many, many years. So, knowing that her's weren't remotely vegan, I thought I would try to recreate them for myself, and for you!

Chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, speckled with tart cherries and nuts. They're sprinkled with a little flake salt for good measure. Crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside, these are delectable!

Salted Oatmeal Chocolate Chip & Cherry Cookies 

Makes 20 cookies

Notes: I like unrefined coconut oil for that coconutty taste, but refined will work too. If you don't have dried cherries, cranberries will work as well. Feel free to use your favorite nuts or omit completely! The dough will be a bit crumbly, but if it seems too dry add milk or water 1 Tbsp. at a time. 

• Flax Egg:
• 1 Tbsp. ground flax seed
• 3 Tbsp. water
• Wet:
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp. unrefined coconut oil, solid
• 2/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Dry:
• 3/4 cup whole wheat white flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• Add-Ins:
• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, dry
• 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup dried tart cherries, chopped
• 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
• Topping:
• flake salt (or kosher salt)

In a small bowl, mix together the ground flax seed and the water. Place in the fridge to cool until ready to use. 

In a large mixing bowl, beat the wet ingredients together until smooth and all the solid oil clumps are gone. Now, add the flax egg and beat again until combined.

In a separate large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients slowly to the wet ingredients and beat until almost combined. 

Slowly incorporate the add-ins to the dough, until just combined. 

Cover the dough and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 350 F and coat a baking sheet with a nonstick cooking spray. 

Form about 1 1/2 Tbsp. dough balls with your hands and flatten just a bit. The dough won't spread out much at all in the oven, so how they are shaped is pretty much how they'll look when they're done. Sprinkle with flake salt and continue with the remaining dough. 

(No, that baking sheet IS NOT a prop. I won't apologize for the shameful state of it. I know I'm a monster and I'm okay with it.)

Bake at 350 F for 13 minutes or until the edges of the cookies turn golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes to firm up before transferring to a wire cooling rack. 

Once cool, store in an airtight container. 

Don't look ay my veiny hands or my chipping nail polish, 'k? I guess I'm a bit insecure today or something...Be sure no little doggy snouts get too close. "Please, Mom. I just want one!" Aw, look at that pleading face you guys!

PSA: You don't need eggs in cookies. Surprise! Stop using eggs in cookies. Use flax seed instead. That is all.  

Listening to: Big Fox – Shadows

"There’s a time for the shadows There’s a time for the fight But I’ve learned that truth’s gonna find you no matter how you hide Cause the words are there Yeah they fill the room long before you know Cause the words are there, just a silent tune but it’s gonna grow" 

German Word of The Day: Cookies --> Gebäck (pronounced: geh-beck). I also found Keks for cookie and Kekse for cookies. I think Gebäck might refer more towards pastries and Kekse more towards biscuity type of cookies. Can any German speakers shed light on Gebäck versus Kekse? I know I have a few German speaking readers! 

Good Deed of The Day: Feeling better about yourself today only takes 5 seconds. Help The Center for Biological Diversity by signing this petition to stop coyote-killing contests in Washington. Belch! This made me wrinkle my nose in disgust. A contest for killing? I know I shouldn't be surprised but somehow I am. Just disgraceful. 

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Chocolate Chipotle Black Bean Cherry Cookies

I love fudgy cookies. I love chocolate. I love healthy cookies and I love vegan cookies but most of all I love tasty cookies. And thus, I am delighted to announce that these Chocolate Chipotle Black Bean Cherry Cookies are all of those things.

They happen to be made with black beans. Now, I know what you're thinking...another black bean baked "goodie". I know, and I agree. I myself have been tricked into making several different cookies, brownies, etc. with black beans that were for lack of a better word...blech. These cookies are different, people! If you've been burned before by a promising black bean dessert recipe, let these be your rebound. A rebound that you'll fall so madly in love with that you'll marry and stay true to forever and ever...I do. That's a little extreme, but they are the real deal and when you find a keeper you hang on tight.

Chocolate Chipotle Black Bean Cherry Cookies

Inspired by My New Roots

Makes 12 cookies

• 2 flax eggs
• 1 (14.5 oz) can of black beans, drained and rinsed very well
• 2 Tbsp. coconut oil
• 1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp. pink Himalayan salt
• 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. ground chipotle chili powder (or cayenne pepper)
• 1/3 cup molasses (or honey, maple syrup, etc)
• 2 tsp. hazelnut Kahlua (or vanilla extract or other liqueur)
• 1/3 cup dark chocolate chunks
• 1/4 cup dried cherries (or dried cranberries)
• 1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped (optional)
• extra chipotle powder (optional) and salt for sprinkling 

Alright, y'all you know the drill. Flax eggs are first! Place 2 Tbsp of ground flaxseed in a small bowl and whisk in 1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp. of cold water. Place the bowl in the refrigerator and allow it to gel for at least 15 minutes. This is important. Preheat oven to 375 F.

Place all remaining ingredients in food processor, excluding chocolate chunks, cherries, optional nuts and sprinklings. Don't forget the flax eggs in the fridge! Pulse until well combined and smooth. Once whirled thoroughly, fold in the chocolate chunks, cherries and optional nuts if you want them in their original form. But...if you're lazy like moi, just pulse them a couple times in the processor to incorporate them into the dough. I prefer mine a little smaller and chopped up anyways. No need to be all proper with it.

Drop 12 cookies onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Not wax paper! That would be a horrific catastrophe. I made this mistake as a flighty and unassuming teen. Parchment paper and waxed paper are not interchangeable. I refuse to assume that every home cook with modest capabilities understands this. I still have never used waxed paper properly, I just know it doesn't go in the oven. I learned the hard way. Anyways, once dropped, flatten the dough as the cookie really won't change shape when baking. Kiss your new loves with salt and extra chipotle chili powder (if you're tough like me, of course), and bake at 375 F for 15 minutes.

If you're feeling super fancy and snooty, I suppose you could ball up the dough and then flatten it. They might have a smoother cookie "look" about them that way. I wasn't feeling particularly fancy pants on this day, however, so I was perfectly content with them as they were.

Black beans, dark chocolate, cherries, flax and chipotle chili powder? It's an antioxidant convention! Did you know that beans are the healthiest bean of all? Click on the links in the ingredient list to learn more.