cranberry & orange chocolate chip cookies

Recipe Tuesday

As much as I love the idea of baking really fancy, exquisite, beautiful things, in reality that never happens. I don’t have the time or the patience or the kitchen space for many layered cakes or intricate delicacies. I also go everywhere either on foot or on public transport, so transportation is always a key consideration too - what will arrive in one piece when I’m squished on the metro at rushhour? Perhaps more importantly, though, what will I have the energy to bake at 10pm for tomorrow’s social event when I really don’t feel like baking but I’m already committed to bringing something?

That’s why I always go back to the same fallback, easy recipes, but just add little twists to them to fit the occasion. So when I was thinking of a festive bake to take to an event, whilst I considered mince pies and stollen and other tasty festive things, I only had the energy for cookies, but I added orange zest and dried cranberries for the Christmassy twist. I considered adding crushed candy canes too, but I don’t love super sweet things. They turned out so well! I will certainly be making them again.

Makes c. 12-16 cookies depending on how big you make them

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup vegan butter, melted

• 1 cup pure cane sugar

• 1/2 tsp sea salt flakes

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 6 tbsps aquafaba

• zest of one orange

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

• 1 1/4 cup plain flour

• 1/4 cup cocoa powder

• 100g roughly chopped dark chocolate (ensure it’s vegan) or orange chocolate for extra flavour

• 100g dried cranberries

Method:

1. Whisk together the melted butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add the aquafaba and orange zest and whisk again.

2. Sieve in the plain flour, cocoa powder and baking powder and stir to combine. Finally, stir in the roughly chopped chocolate and cranberries.

3. Place the bowl of cookie dough in the fridge and leave to chill for at least 30 minutes. The butter needs to harden so they don’t spread too fast in the oven.

4. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.

5. Scoop balls of dough out onto a greased and lined baking sheet. Space the balls of dough quite far apart to give them space to expand.

6. Bake for around 10 minutes, or until slightly browned around the edges but still soft. They may not look cooked but if in doubt take them out, as a slightly under-cooked cookie is infinitely better than a slightly overcooked one. Leave to cool slightly and then enjoy fresh.