Oatmeal "Wookie" Cookies

While savoring warm-from-the-oven cookies with Jordan and my mother she reported that the dessert was soft and chewy...  Chewie???  We looked at each other and laughed as the title came to us in an instant: 

Chewie, the nick-name of the large, furry character, Chewbacca from Star Wars, is a member of the alien race called Wookies.  And "Wookie" rhymes with "cookie"... Before we knew it, the three of us had transformed a batch of seemingly ordinary baking into something even Han Solo could be proud of! 

Starting with a Quaker Oats cookie recipe, I modified the ingredients a little to make everything vegan, even fat-free: no added oils!  But not to worry--they're still easy to bake and taste delicious!  I even think a big brown hairy space pilot "long ago, in a galaxy far far away..." might take a liking to them!  :D

Oatmeal "Wookie" Cookies
Makes about 3 dozen.

Organic Ingredients:
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup white sugar
2 mashed bananas or Ener-G egg replacer for 2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup white flour or whole-wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups rolled oats, dry (quick or old fashioned)
1 cup raisins or vegan chocolate chips

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.  Note: If you use whole wheat flour you will probably need to add 2 Tbsp of water or plant milk. Begin by beating together the sugars, banana/egg replacer, vanilla, and salt.  In separate bowl mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon, oats, and raisins.  Combine all ingredients.  Roll dough into small balls and place on a greased or ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake for 8-9 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from oven and allow to cool on the pan for 3 minutes.  Transfer to wire rack.  Enjoy!

Banana Nut-Butter Cookies

While I was reading through a 1978 church pamphlet entitled, "Essentials of Home Production and Storage", I stumbled upon this recipe.  And to my delight, I hardly needed to adapt the ingredients; they were already vegan-friendly.  (You can't imagine how excited I was about that!)  You will like these cookies!  They are easy to make and bake.  And the recipe is versatile!  Exercise your right to go without gluten.  Use your typical nut butter or try something new.  Even feel free to omit the banana for a different egg substitute if you like.  You can't go wrong!  But I do have to say, the very best thing about this dessert is eating it.  :)  Yields 30 cookies. 

Banana Nut-Butter Cookies

Organic Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat or gluten-free flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup vegan butter, softened (Earth Balance brand)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 ripe banana or a powder egg substitute equivalent to 1 egg
1/2 cup nut butter

Instructions:
It's easiest to make cookie dough with a mixing machine.  I hope you have one!  And remember to get your silicone spatula ready to scrape the bowls as they rotate.  Let's get started!  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl measure the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Stir on lowest speed for a few moments.  Set bowl aside.  Next, place the butter, sugar, banana, and nut butter of your choice into another mixing bowl and set the beaters to a low speed for a minute or two.   Finally, add the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients.  On a low speed, mix everything together thoroughly.  Roll the dough into small balls and arrange them evenly on ungreased cookie sheets.  If you want, with a floured fork, press a checkered pattern into each ball.  Now, bake for 9-10 minutes or until lightly brown.  Cool on the sheet for another minute before removing.  Enjoy!

Rich Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've been searching for what seems like forever (three years) for the perfect vegan chocolate chip cookie.  And at the charity dinner for Ching Farm last weekend, I finally tasted them.  After only the first bite--WOW!  I celebrated!  This very well might be it!  I just had to meet the creator of such a wonderful dessert.  When I discovered he was sitting just a table away, I grabbed a piece of scratch paper and a pen, then hastened to his side.  His name was Rich Hawkes, a very friendly young adult and down-to-earth fellow vegan.  To my delight, he was more than happy to share his recipe with me.  Now I desire to share it with you!  In Rich's honor, I named the cookies after him!  The only thing I adapted was the flour.  I use whole-wheat.  It makes a darker finished product, but takes nothing from the flavor.  Enjoy!  Yields approximately 30 cookies.

Rich Chocolate Chip Cookies

Organic Ingredients:
Ener-G brand egg replacer, equaling 2 eggs
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup vegan butter, softened (Earth Balance brand is ideal)
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla
2 cups chocolate chips

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to bake at 350 degrees.  First, in a cereal bowl, follow the equivalents and directions on the Ener-G egg replacer box for 2 eggs.  Wisk well by hand and set aside.  Now, if you have an electric mixing machine, use it for the remainder of the recipe to simplify things.  (Remember to use a silicone spatula to scrape the sides of the bowls while mixing for a better overall consistency.)  Next, use a large mixing bowl and combine on lowest speed the flour, salt, and baking soda.  Set aside.  Use a smaller mixing bowl for the butter, sugar, vanilla, and egg replacer mixture.  Blend these wet ingredients on lowest speed.  Pour wet ingredients into the large bowl of dry ingredients and mix together on a low speed setting.  Now add the chocolate chips and mix again.  Roll the dough into small balls and place on a baking sheet.  You don't need to grease it.  Place tray in the oven for 9-10 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cookies cool on sheet for another 3 minutes or so.  Cookies are now ready to serve warm, or cool them on a rack.  Continue until all the dough balls have been baked.