Every December, I get the Food Network’s 12 Days of Cookies emails. I never bothered to unsubscribe from it when I became vegan and I usually just deleted the emails. This year however, I decided to see if I could veganize any of the recipes I received. Some of the recipes I didn’t try simply because I wasn’t interested in the cookies, but I saved them for future reference. The remaining recipes I successfully veganized. Sometimes I just needed to make a few changes, other times I completely reworked the recipe. The first recipe I tackled was Trisha Yearwood’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls. How could I not? I mean really, chocolate cookie dough!!! Placing a mixing bowl full of dough out for company with some spoons would not generally go over well. But, if you roll the dough into balls and the coat them in chocolate, you have a perfectly acceptable dessert to serve. So, here is our veganized version of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls.
Note: remember to make sure the chocolate you use is vegan. Check for any dairy ingredients that may have been slipped in.
Prep Time:10 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes (this includes time for the dough to chill)
Yield: 3-4 dozen, depending on size
Ingredients
Dough:
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
2 ¼ tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer
3 TBL warm water
1 cup (2 sticks) vegan butter
¾ cup brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
Dipping Chocolate:
12 ounces dark chocolate chips
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
Directions:
1. Line a baking sheet with wax paper and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking soda and salt together. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg replacer and water and set aside.
4. In an electric mixer, beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until well combined, about 2 minutes. Add the egg replacer mixture and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
5. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 2 batches, beating well after each addition to fully incorporate.
6. Add the chocolate chips to be mixer and mix to evenly distribute.
7. Using a mini ice cream scoop or melon baller, scoop out the batter and roll it into balls.
8. Place the dough balls about an inch apart on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Place a tooth pick in each ball to make it easier for coating them later. Transfer the balls on the baking sheet to the freezer for at least 30 minutes to let the dough set up.
cookie dough balls rolled and ready for chilling
While the balls are chilling, prepare the chocolate for dipping:
1. In the top of a double boiler, melt the chocolate stirring constantly. Once completely melted, remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
2. Remove the chilled dough balls from the freezer. Using the toothpick as a handle, dip the balls one at a time in the melted chocolate to coat fully.
3. Return the dough balls to the wax paper-lined baking sheet and refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
