Chocolate Chip Cookies with Cacao Butter

I am always searching for a delicious dairy free cookie.  Unfortunately, there is no equal to the palate pleasing purity of cow's milk butter.  Yes, there are substitutes that do fairly well like magarine, but they have a dairy ingredient, plus loads of other ingredients too. Once life delivered me a dairy free mandate, I have been searching out tolerable alternatives to my beloved butter.  I use Earth Balance Soy Free Sticks for the best results for most of my baking – the Soy Free sticks leave the least amount of fishy aftertaste unlike the yellow Earth Balance box which contains flax and has notes of fish which is not what I desire for in a baked treat. Coconut based butters can overpower baked goods with a coconut aftertaste from stong to mild.  I find most dairy free butter substitutes too salty and they can leave a greasy texture on the palate.

This cookie delivers a delicious creaminess that is not butter but a mysterious whole mouth feel of the cocoa butter.  Raw cocoa butter is available at Whole Foods, specialty grocery stores or Amazon.  It costs about $10 for 8 ounces. I use the Navitas brand.  Cacao nibs by Natierra. If you want to keep your guests guessing the secret ingredient make this cookie.

4 ounces; 115g; raw cocoa butter such

8 3/4 ounces; 250g; 1¼ cup sugar

1 3/4 teaspoons ; 7g kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

4 ounces unsalted butter; 115g; 8 tablespoons softened but cool, about 60°F 
1 large cold egg

½ ounce, 15g, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

10 ½ ounces; 300g; 2 1/3 all-purpose

6 ½ ounces; 185g; ¾ cup chocolate chips of your choice

1 ounce; 30g;¼ cup cocoa nibs

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, melt cocoa butter over medium-low heat, stirring frequently with a flexible.

When cocoa butter is fully melted, pour into the bowl of a stand mixer and cool to approximately 90°F.

Add sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and butter to cooled cocoa butter.

Using the paddle attachment cream mixture until it is fluffy and light, about 3 minutes.

With mixer still running, add egg, vanilla, and continue beating until well combined.

Scrape bowl and beater with flexible spatula

With mixer on low, add flour until just combined.

Fold in chocolate chips and cocoa nibs with flexible rubber spatula by hand.

Scoop dough onto parchment or Silpat lined cookie sheets using a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop or your size preference.

Place cookies about 2 inches apart.

Bake until puffed and firm around the edges, about 15 minutes.

Due to their low lactose content, these cookies are pale in color.

Cool on the baking sheet about 5 minutes.

Store in an airtight container up to 4 days at room temperature.

Dairy Free Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have been on a long 2 year journey after being poisoned by listeria and relearning how to eat.  I no longer am able to tolerate dairy - dairy as defined by anything made from cow's milk.  Now I am vigilant about the products I consume and I am searching for a baking substitute for butter that does not use bunch of chemicals.  Butter has that smooth, sweet, slight nutty flavor that is ever so subtle but once butter is not available for use, a person notices.  I have tried several varieties of vegan buttery sticks, preferring the Melts brand despite the coconut aftertaste.  It is better to eat a cookie with a tinge of coconut versus the tinge of fish that comes off the Earth Balance buttery sticks.  Once dairy is off the table, flavor must compromise.  I have read many a blog eschewing the wonders of coconut oil whose fat content is close to that of butter but it doesn't sit like butter on the palate or the stomach - it is strangely heavy.   

This chocolate chip cookie has the same texture and crumb as a butter based chocolate chip cookie.  The flavor of your olive oil comes through in a subtle and surprising way that is nice.

Dairy Free Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 ½  cups light brown sugar sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

3 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon sea salt

1 stick (4 ounces) buttery sticks* softened

*Note:  I prefer the Melts brand buttery sticks or when I can’t find the Melts I use the Earth Balance brand Soy-free buttery sticks – their other buttery sticks give baked goods a noticeable fishy flavor from the flax oil used in them.

½ cup flavorful olive oil

2 large eggs

4 teaspoons vanilla extract

6 - 12 ounces dark chocolate chips

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts to dip the top of cookies in (I use this method to make some cookies with nuts and some without) or add the nuts with chocolate chips. 

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.

In a medium bowl whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside.

In an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream your brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil and buttery stick on medium speed.

Add the eggs one at time and mix until incorporated after each addition at medium speed.

Add vanilla and mix until well blended.

Scrape the bowl.

Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients on low speed.

Add the chocolate chips and mix until evenly distributed, about 10-20 seconds

Use a cookie scoop of your preference or two teaspoons to scoop walnut size balls on your baking sheets.

Dip tops of cookies in nuts if using.

Bake the cookies on silpat or parchment lined pans for about 7-11 minutes depending on the top of oven you use.

Muesli Chocolate Chip Cookies

                 

I have a bag of muesli in the pantry that was not being eaten as the kids do not want go through the effort to boil it in a pot  for a hot breakfast opting for the instant oatmeal packets. I decided to try a healthier cookie and use the muesli in these cookies.  The cookies are chewy and just sweet enough with surprising bites sometimes with dates or raisins.  They have an nice crunch that I believe is from the flax seed in this particular muesli mix.

Chocolate Chip Muesli Cookies
Makes about 2 dozen

Ingredients

1 Egg

1/2 tsp Vanilla

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

3/4 cup Brown Sugar

1/2 cup Butter softened to cool room temperature

3/4 cup Whole Wheat Flour

1 cup Muesli  (I used Bob's Red Mills)

6 oz Chocolate Chips

Directions

Heat oven to 375°F. 
Sift flour, baking soda, and salt together and set aside. 
Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla. Beat in egg. 
Add flour mixture and mix. Stir in Muesli and chocolate chips. 
Drop by teaspoons on lightly greased cookie sheet.
 Bake at 375°F for 10-12 minutes or until brown.