Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Hugs

                                     
 “Is there any problem that a bottle of wine and peanut butter can’t solve?” – Unknown

When I was little I used to watch the remake of The Parent Trap with Lindsay Lohan a lot. I remember one of my favorite scenes was when Lindsay Lohan and…well, Lindsay Lohan were eating oreos dipped in peanut butter during a rainy night in their, like, secluded cabin away from everyone else…including counselors…which was kinda crazy.

Anyway, from then on I had this fascination with peanut butter and chocolate cookies. Like, some kids wanna smoke when they see a cool guy in a moving puffing on a cigarette? I wanted to eat an entire truckload of peanut butter and chocolate cookies because of Lindsay Lohan. Nowadays I generally make it a point to do everything that Lindsay Lohan doesn’t do, but my love of peanut butter and chocolate has remained intact.

And so, I give you this recipe, adapted from the vegan chefs at the Post Punk Kitchen:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Hugs

Ingredients:

Chocolate dough:

1/2 cup canola oil

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

3 tablespoons non-dairy milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup + 2 TBSP unsweetened dutch processed cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling:

3/4 cup natural salted peanut butter, crunchy or creamy style

2/3 cup confectioner’s sugar

2 to 3 tablespoons soy creamer or non-dairy milk

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1.     Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2.     In a large mixing bowl combine oil, sugar, maple syrup, non-dairy milk and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.

3.     Sift in flour, cocoa powder, black cocoa if using, baking soda and salt.

4.     Mix to form dough. (And this dough will be kinda tacky, so handle with care)

5.     In another bowl, use a hand mixer on low speed to beat together the peanut butter, confectioner’s sugar, non-dairy milk and vanilla extract until a glossy, sticky dough comes together.

6.     Shape the cookies. Create the centers of the cookies by rolling the peanut butter dough into 24 balls. Scoop a generous tablespoon of chocolate dough, flatten into a disc and place a peanut butter ball in the center.                               

7.     Roll the chocolate dough gently around the peanut butter center to form a ball. Place back on the cookie sheet.

8.     Finish with remaining dough, place cookies 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.

9.     Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through.

10.  Allow cookies to cool on sheets for about 5-7 minutes before gently moving them to cooling racks.

A note for these cookies: When they first come out of the oven, and even on the way to the cooling racks, they will feel very sticky and almost under baked. Don’t worry. As they cool down the outside will firm up, but the ooey, gooey peanut butter center will remain in all its melty goodness.

Enjoy these literally anytime, anywhere. They are always appropriate.

Til next time!

D