Double Choc Peanut Cookies

I must say, I’m rather pleased with these cookies. They were a bit of an experiment, an ‘off the top of my head’ idea which worked out a treat. Oh my, they are très délicieux! and shall I tell you a little secret? They are vegan! Now non-vegans, PLEASE don’t let this put you off. They are only vegan by non-inclusion, no dairy or eggs, I did however have a vegan recipe in mind when I conjured the idea up.

I would challenge anyone to guess that they were vegan, they are chocolatey, gooey {for a few hours after coming out the oven} and peanutty. Heaven. They could easily become triple choc peanut cookies if you used half milk and half white chocolate in place of the dark chocolate {making them non vegan}. It is quite an adaptable recipe.

Gooey, chocolate cookies have been a crusade of mine since my teens when we used to get Ben’s Cookies in the Covered Market, Oxford. I still to this day, must have a Triple Chocolate Chunk cookie if I ever pass through Oxford. They have branches in a few other, select locations but the ritual is here, in the marvelous surrounds of the historic market. 

It is my favourite thing to do in Oxford, markets like this are sadly a rarity in the UK these days and this one is an absolute gem. The eclectic mix of independent shops, food stalls and eateries make it a joy to wander around whilst nibbling on a warm, gooey cookie. This may be a tourist must-see, but it is also a bustling, working market with colourful vegetables, fruit and flowers, fresh fish and butcher shops.

Coming face to face with hung game and whole carcasses on the meat stalls was quite a queasy eye opener to my vegetarian teenage self but this is how meat should be sold, not packaged in anonymous plastic trays with no source association. Oxford’s Covered Market may not be as exotic as the markets of the far east or as heady as the souks of the Levant but it is very British, an engaging place to explore, with plenty to feast your eyes, taste buds and nostrils on!

I have never managed to recreate the perfect Ben’s Cookie yet though.

The recipe makes about 18 cookies but could easily be halved if you didn’t want that many. I have just listed milk in the ingredients, this can be cows milk, soy milk, almond milk, oat milk, what ever you like.

oven 180C / gas 4

a couple of baking sheets lined with baking parchment

• 150 g light soft brown sugar
• 2 tbsp golden syrup
• 100 ml sunflower oil
• 200 g crunchy peanut butter
• 100 ml milk {vegan milk of your choice, I used oat}
• 200 g self raising flour
• 4 tbsp cocoa powder
• tiny pinch salt
• 150 g dark or semi sweet chocolate, chopped into small chunks

Place the sugar, syrup, oil and peanut butter into a large bowl and beat with a wooden spoon into a thick batter. Stir in the milk then sift in the cocoa powder and beat again.

Sift the flour and salt into the bowl and stir to combine. Add the chocolate chunks and give it all a good mix to distribute. If it looks a bit dry and isn’t holding together, add a tablespoon more of milk.

Use a small ice cream scoop or a tablespoon to measure out even sized portions. Use your hands to form them into balls then place them onto the baking sheets leaving plenty of room for them to spread. Flatten them a little with your fingertips or a wet spoon. You should get about 18 cookies.

Bake for 12-14 minutes until just starting to colour around the edges. Remove from the oven and rest on the baking sheets for 5 minutes so that they harden enough to move them. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. The chocolate should stay gooey for a good while. Now tell me, do they taste vegan? Mais non!