It's Peanut Butter Cookie Time!

The first time I made vegan peanut butter cookies they tasted a lot like Mazapan candies. You know, those awesome, melt-in-your-mouth Mexican peanut butter candies with the rose logo.

The cookies ruled, but I was really hoping for chewy and soft, not crumbly. After a little experimentation I came up with this. It may be the best peanut butter cookie ever.

Soft and Chewy Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies

• 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cup vegan sugar (or brown sugar if omitting the molasses)
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup Earth Balance (or your favorite vegan margarine)
• 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
• 2 Ener-G "eggs"
• 1 Tablespoon soymilk
• 2 teaspoons agave
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons molasses
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• vegan sugar for sprinkling

Method

Preheat oven to 350° F.

In a large bowl cream together sugar, oil and vegan margarine until smooth. Add the agave, molasses, vanilla extract and peanut butter and mix thoroughly. In a small bowl prepare your "eggs" according to the package. 1 "egg" is 1 1/2 teaspoons of Ener-G Egg powder mixed with 2 tablespoons of water. Add the eggs to the wet mixture and set aside. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda and sea salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and gently mix until a dough forms. Dough should be pliable, not too wet or too dry. Add a spoonful of soymilk if it's too dry or a little more flour if it's too wet.

Allow dough to chill in the refrigerator for 10 minutes before baking. Once dough has rested, drop by the heaping tablespoon and flatten with a fork, creating a criss-cross pattern with the fork tines. Sprinkle tops with sugar and bake on a parchment lined baking sheet for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Makes about 2 dozen.

Tips:

These cookies would probably make a really bad ass ice cream sandwich. Try spreading a nice layer of slightly thawed and softened ice cream between two cookies, then wrap in foil and freeze.

Or try this idea @YoSoyLiz suggested veganizing:

http://www.thesweetslife.com/2010/11/peanut-butter-bacon-cookies.html

Real bacon would be gross. I suggest crisping up some soy bacon in the oven and then mixing it into the dough.