Cowboy Cookies

vegan, soy-free (potentially)

Adapted from Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero's recipe in Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar

Vegan cookies are so much fun to make, and these are hands down the best! (I'm not just making that up - Everyone raves about these cookies) There's something about the combination of oats, coconut, nuts, and chocolate chips that makes these irresistible!

Yield: about 24 large cookies / Prep time: 20 min / Total time: 40 min

 Ingredients:​

• 2 cups (180 g) rolled oats
• 2 cups (240 g) flour (all-purpose, whole wheat pastry flour, or a combination)
• 1 teaspoon (5 g) baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon (2 g) baking powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon (1 g) salt
• 2⁄3 cup (145 g) oil
• 2⁄3 cup (134 g) sugar
• 3⁄4 cup (150 g) brown sugar (packed)
• 1⁄2 cup (120 g) non-dairy milk (soy, almond, rice, coconut, etc.)
• 1 tablespoon (12 g) ground flax seeds
• 1 teaspoon (4 g) vanilla extract
• 1 cup (100 g) coconut, shredded unsweetened
• 3/4 cup (130 g) semisweet vegan chocolate chips or chunks
• 1 cup (125 g) pecan or walnut pieces, chopped 

Directions:

1. In a medium sized bowl combine oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a second bowl beat together oil, sugar, brown sugar, milk, flax seeds and vanilla using a wire whisk.
3. Fold in half of the flour mixture to moisten, then fold in second half. Just before mixture is completely combined, fold in coconut, chocolate chips and pecans/walnuts.
4. For each cookie, drop 1/4 cup of dough (about the size of a golf ball) onto a parchment paper-lined or greased cookie sheet. Leave about 2 inches of space between each cookie and flatten slightly with moistened fingers (or moistened back of measuring cup).
5. Bake in the preheated oven at 350°F for 14-16 minutes until edges start to brown.
6. Let the cookies rest on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
7. These will keep for a few days at room temperature, and several months in the freezer.
   

Baking Without Eggs
Although many people don't know how they could ever bake without eggs, it's very easy if you have the right combination of liquids, binders, and leavening ingredients (you'll often need flax or chia seeds as a binder for cookies like these, but some vegan recipes will call for more baking powder for extra leavening action, or mashed banana for added moisture). There are commercially packaged egg replacer powders out there, but you generally don't need them if you're following a vegan recipe that has already calculated the chemistry for you. The best part about cooking without eggs is no messy eggshells to deal with and you can even lick out the mixing bowl with no salmonella worries!

Hey flutists, do I get extra points for the Flutistry mug in the background? :)