I love cookies of all shapes and sizes—I’m not one to discriminate. That being said, there just aren’t enough vegan white chocolate macadamia nut cookies around. At least not readily available for purchase … so I came up with my own recipe so I could have them whenever I got a craving. In these, I used chopped cacao butter instead of using a store-bought vegan white chocolate—which is REALLY hard to find. (I have found it online, though.) Cacao butter is the edible vegetable fat extracted from the cocoa bean, and it both smells and tastes like chocolate. It’s the perfect substitute—and it’s packed with antioxidants to help give you healthy hair and skin. So they’re basically a health food … right?! —AS
MAKES 16 BARS
1 cup (230 g) vegan butter or vegetable shortening
⅔ cup (160 ml) maple syrup (see Note)
1½ tsp (8 ml) vanilla extract
¾ tsp salt
2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
½ cup (90 g) roughly chopped vegan white chocolate or cacao butter
½ cup (55 g) roughly chopped macadamia nuts
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
Using a handheld or stand mixer, cream together the butter, syrup, vanilla and salt until light and fluffy. Add the flour. When it’s fully incorporated, stir in the white chocolate and nuts.
Pour the cookie dough into a greased 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33-cm) baking dish. Press the dough very firmly with plastic wrap or a spatula until the top is silky smooth and free of cracks or bubbles.
Bake for 23 to 28 minutes until slightly golden and crisp on the edges. An inserted toothpick should come out clean. Cool completely, and then cut into triangles (or squares) with a sharp knife. Scoop out the bars and enjoy!
Note: You can sub 1 cup (190 g) organic sugar for the maple syrup here. The cookie bars will be crispier if you do this.
For thicker bars, you can also try baking in an 8 x 8-inch (20 x 20-cm) pan, but the cooking time may need to be adjusted.
Leftovers last in the fridge for about a week.