chocolate | Triangle Chicken Advocates

I realize this is hard for some people to believe, but I don’t like chocolate–though I often make chocolate desserts to make my friends and family happy. I’m a designated driver of sorts.

For the chocolate lovers in your life, I give you this quick and easy recipe. Of course, it is vegan, so the dough is perfectly safe to eat while being kind to chickens and cows.

– Linda Nelson

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

Ingredients for the cookie dough:

1/2 cup vegan butter, at room temp. (see our website for an easy recipe)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed, light brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy creamer or soy milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips for dipping, melted

Directions:

In a large bowl, cream the vegan butter and sugars until light. Mix in the creamer or milk and the vanilla. Stir in the flour and salt until all is mixed in. Add the chocolate chips. Cover and chill the dough until it is easily to shape.

Roll the dough into 1 inch balls, and place them on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper or a silpat. Place them in the freezer for about 15 minutes. While the balls are in the freezer, melt 1 1/2 cups of vegan chocolate chips (I use Equal Exchange brand). I melt the chips in a double boiler though you can do it in small increments of time in the microwave. Dip the balls of dough in the melted chocolate, place them back on the cookie sheet, allow them to set, and eat or refrigerate in an airtight container.

You can also just choose to eat the cookie dough without dipping, if you just can’t wait.

When we launched our erstwhile vegan baking business in Virginia, we were surprised at how quickly our scones sold out and gained popularity. It was fun to play with flavor combos and ideas–like a gluten-free pumpkin scone, or one featuring local lavender–but also quite a challenge to meet the demand (have you ever tried making six dozen scones in a go???).

One of our last flavors, made for the second of our Vegan Night Out events, was a big hit: Raspberry Chocolate Chip. It was an even bigger success at two of the potlucks put on by the Triangle Vegan Pledge.

We encourage you to use organic, fair-trade chocolate and sugar. For the sugar, organic is especially important to ensure that it is vegan (since conventional sugar is typically processed with bone char). Also watch out for palm oil in your vegan chocolate chips; we like to use Equal Exchange’s bittersweet chocolate chips.

– Rosemary & Justin

Raspberry Chocolate Chip Scones
– Makes 8 scones.
Ingredients:
1 cup soy milk
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
3 cups flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup vegan sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1 cup frozen raspberries
¾ cup vegan chocolate chips
½ cup coconut oil
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Lightly grease a scone pan, or a baking sheet for drop scones. Measure out the milk in a large measuring cup and add the vinegar to it. Set aside to curdle.

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, raspberries, and chocolate chips; if the raspberries are large, it helps to crush them up some with your mixing spoon. Add the coconut oil in small clumps, then use your fingers or a pastry cutter to cut it into the flour until the dough texture becomes pebble-like.

Create a well in the center and add the milk mixture, oil, and vanilla. Mix with a wooden spoon until about half of the flour is incorporated. Mix again until all the ingredients are just moistened, taking care not to overmix. A couple of dry-looking spots are fine.

Grease a ¼-cup measuring cup and use the cup to scoop the scones into the scone pan or onto the baking sheet. Dust the tops of the scones with more sugar, then bake for 18-22 minutes, until the tops are lightly browned and firm. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool.