Ten Things To Do Instead of Shopping:
#4. Look to the Cookie.

Baking cookie creations during the holidays beats a trip to the store for so many reasons, especially if baking is your most comfortable and expected form of a affection. This rainy Saturday I create two special treats related to the almighty cookie. 1) The New York City bakery favorite, the Black & White Cookie–which I haven’t tried baking since 2008…

and 2) Chocolate Chip Cookie cupcakes… because I’ve never tried to bake this combination before and I want to use up the Ben & Jerry’s snackable cookie dough in my freezer as a garnish!

Vegan Black & White Cookies

Adapted from here.

Cookie Dough

• 300 grams all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup Earth Balance
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup nondairy milk, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Measure out first group of ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk together. Set bowl aside.
3. Cream butter and sugar in a stand-up mixer until incorporated. Add the milk and vanilla and beat again until well incorporated.
4. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture slowly in batches, beating until well combined.
5. For the cookies by using 1/4 cup of the dough onto the baking sheets, spacing them 3 inches apart. After, flatten gently and shape them into circular form with your hands with wet fingertips.
6. Put trays in the fridge for 20 minutes to cool down. This will help cookies spread less. These ones spread a great deal. (I did not do this and wished I had, hence the addition to the recipe.)
7. Bake for 15 minutes on the middle rack and top rack until lightly golden or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. Allow the cookies to cool 2 minutes on the baking sheets and then flip each upside down to cool completely on a wire rack.

Cookie Icing

• 3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1/4 cup boiling water, plus more if needed
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup nondairy semisweet chocolate chips

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix the confectioners’ sugar, boiling water, and vanilla, adding a splash of water as needed. Icing should be smooth and shiny.
2. Spread a thin layer of icing onto the flat side of each cookie until even and opaque using an offset spatula. Return cookies to the rack to dry. There should be about a little less than half of the icing left to create the chocolate icing.
3. While the white side is drying, melt chocolate chips in a double boiler, stirring until smooth.
4. With a rubber spatula scoop chocolate into remaining icing, stirring well. Add some more boiled water until smooth and glossy, the same texture the vanilla side had.
5. Using offset spatula, ice the other half of each cookie. When handling, be careful not to touch the vanilla side as it is not yet fully dry. Return the cookies to the wire racks to dry completely.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes

Cupcakes (Adapted from here.)

• 180 grams all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 180 grams cup sugar
• 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup plus 2 tbsp water

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line cupcake pan with liners and set aside.
2. Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl and and whisk.
3. Combine remaining ingredients in a medium bowl and and whisk until the mayo spread is smooth.
4. Combine wet ingredients into dry and stir until just evenly combined. 
5. Divide among evenly in the pan. Bake 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Remove cupcakes from the oven and let sit in pan for a few minutes before letting cool completely on a wire rack
7. (Optional) Since this bakes up in the hue of a chocolate chip cookie, I decided I’d pipe the left over chocolate icing from cookies about into the centers.

Frosting (Adapted from here.)

• 1/2 cup Earth Balance
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 120 grams all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons water, plus more if needed
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

1. Cream Earth Balance and sugar until smooth in a stand-up mixer.
2. Add the vanilla and salt and continue mixing until incorporated.
3. Add flour gradually until all incorporated.
4. Add in the water, one tablespoon at a time, until frosting is to your desire consistency.
5. Take off the mixer and fold in chocolate chips. Put in a piping bag with a large star tip. If not piping right away, store in fridge. When ready to use, allow to sit on counter until consistency is right for piping.
6. (Optional) Garnish with Ben & Jerry’s snackable cookie dough.