Chocolate Brownie Cookies

Gluten-free, Dairy-free 

They aren’t pretty, but they are delicious. I have a small girl crush on Samin Nosrat, author of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat and the host of the Netflix series with the same name. Her approach to food is so enthralling. I don’t know about you, but I am not one who thinks that food needs to dressed up and dolled up and tweezed together on the plate. Samin wrote a piece in the New York Times with the bold title, “Delicious Doesn’t Always Mean Pretty”that just had me nodding and saying “YES, Yes!” In an instagram-social media world, we often think about how sharable something is; also know as how pretty is it. But what about how it tastes? 

These cookies don’t look like much, but when you bite into them, get a little bit of that soft center and the gooey melted chocolate within, you won’t care how they look. 

Now. Let me be honest. This recipe was formulated for Taza Chocolate. Taza is owned and run by my brother and sister-in-law and I love them and the chocolate they make. My bias aside, Taza is one of the only vegan, gluten-free, soy free and organic chocolates that tastes this good. Part of that flavor comes down to the fact that their chocolate is stone ground. You get more texture and flavor in the final product. Some dark chocolates can taste bitter and almost burnt tasting. Not Taza. It has a smooth, almost fruity flavor that is hard to beat. So next time you are scanning the chocolate aisle or looking for a new chocolate to bake with (or eat), try Taza. 

Alright, let’s talk about these cookies. There are 3 types of chocolate in them: Wicked Dark Chocolate, cocoa powder, and chopped Sea Salt and Almond Chocolate. So if you are having a chocolate craving, these will satisfy it. 

The secret ingredient (besides the chocolate) is the powdered coconut milk. In almost all of my cookie recipes, I add two tablespoons of nonfat dry milk powder. It is a trick I picked up from Christina Tosi and it does something magical to the middle of a cookie. If you are baking dairy-free, the powdered coconut milk powder does the same thing. If you can’t find it in your local super market, you can buy it online (it’s not too pricey) and keep it on hand. 

Recipe

1/2 cup vegan butter (Melt Buttery Sticks are my preferred)

Half of a Taza Chocolate Wicked Dark Chocolate bar (about 1oz), chopped

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup coconut sugar

1 large egg

3/4 cup gluten-free measure-for-measure flour (Bob’s Red Mill is my fave)

1/2 cup dutch processed cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp instant espresso powder (optional, but definitely recommended)

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp powdered coconut milk (again, optional, but adds some flavor and richness)

1 Taza Chocolate Sea Salt & Almond bar, chopped (or 1/3 cup of your fave chocolate, finely chopped)

In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, cocoa powder, espresso, powdered coconut milk, salt and baking powder. Make sure to get out any lumps in the cocoa powder. 

In a large heatproof bowl, toss in the vegan butter and the chopped Wicked Dark bar. Melt in the microwave, going in 30 second spurts and stirring after each. Once melted, stir together. Add the coconut sugar and whisk until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla extract and whisk again until smooth. 

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, folding together with a rubber spatula. When the flour is almost fully mixed in, add the chopped Sea Salt & Almond bar (or whatever chocolate you are using) and continue mixing until the flour is fully combined. 

Cover the dough and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment. 

Scoop dough on the cookie sheet with a cookie scoop or spoon, leaving 1 to 2 inches between each (these babes won’t spread much while baking). 

Bake for 11 to 13 minutes (always err on the side of under baking). Let cook for 10 minutes before biting into that gooey center. 

Makes about 12 two tablespoon-sized cookies. Keep in an airtight container for up to a week.