BLACK FOREST COOKIES

I christened these cookies “black forest cookies” because I made them to replace a black forest cake. I’ll expand a bit. They do contain the same main ingredients as a black forest cake: chocolate and cherries. However, cookies are much much easier to carry around London on buses than a cake. And I have a friend who’s having a birthday party tonight. And his favourite cake is black forest cake. So, I made these. Makes sense now? Cake-replacement cookies!

Well then, before you even start reading the recipe, let me warn you. These cookies are possibly the unhealthiest thing I’ve ever baked in my life. Vegetable fat! Margarine! Bucketfuls of sugar! Egg-replacement powder!!! But I have no regrets. They are delicious. 

(Thank me later)

BLACK FOREST COOKIES

360g (3 cups) plain flour

30g (1/4 cup) cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

40g (1/4 cup) vegan chocolate chips

100g (3/4 cup) dried cherries

150g (10 tablespoons) margarine

75g (5 tablespoons) vegetable fat

150g (3/4 cup) sugar

170g (scant 1 cup) brown sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 teaspoons egg-replacement powder

3 tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F and prepare two cookie trays. In a large bowl, mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cherries and chocolate chips and set aside. In a separate bowl, cream together margarine, vegetable fat, the sugars and vanilla extract. In a third small bowl, whisk together the egg-replacement powder and water until light and frothy. Pour this mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients, then add the margarine mixture and combine with your hands or a spoon. With the dough form balls of about 50g each (roughly the size of a golf ball) and place on the cookie trays, leaving some space between them as they will spread in the oven. Bake for 12 minutes or until the tops are slightly cracked. They should still be soft when you take them out of the oven. As soon as you take them out, whack the cookie tray on the counter top to flatten them out. Leave the cookies on the tray for about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.