Valentine's Treat: Chocolate Cookies Two Ways

As soon as I saw the recipe for Balsamic Chocolate Drops at Habeas Brûlée, I knew I had to try it. Not only was I intrigued by the use of balsamic vinegar to enhance the chocolate flavor, but these fudgy drops were also easily veganized and already lower in fat than most cookies. So I made them one night to bring to a party—getting them out of the house so that I wouldn't be tempted to eat too many of them myself! Made with Earth Balance margarine and soy yogurt instead of butter and yogurt, they were a decadent treat.

But I couldn't stop there. I liked the rich, chocolaty taste so much that I wanted to see if I could eliminate the fat completely and still have a luscious—but lighter—dessert. I needed to replace the margarine, and I decided that of all fat substitutes, prune puree would complement the chocolate best. I also added another chocolate enhancer, a pinch of cinnamon. And since prunes are sweeter than margarine, I was able to cut down on the sugar, an added bonus. The cookies came out much softer than the margarine version, almost like thin brownies or cakes. The biggest surprise was that E. and I actually preferred the no-fat version. I guess we just like our cookies soft rather than crispy.

So here are the two recipes—first the higher-fat version and then my fat-free version. Make some to share with the one (or ones) you love!



Vegan Balsamic Fudge Drops
(adapted from Habeas Brûlée)

Balsamic vinegar is the secret ingredient, but the only sign it's there is the deeper, richer taste it gives these cookies.

1 cup unbleached white flour (or use gluten-free baking flour)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons Earth Balance margarine
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup soy yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (see Note)
Vanilla sugar (I did this the quick way by pulverizing a vanilla bean with sugar in my blender)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Mix the flour, soda, and salt together and set aside. In another bowl, mix the cocoa with the sugars and set aside.

Melt the margarine in a medium-sized saucepan. When it is completely melted, take it off the heat and add the sugar/cocoa mixture and stir to combine. Then add the soy yogurt, vanilla extract, and balsamic and stir until mixed. Finally, add the flour mixture and stir just until it's combined—don't over-mix.

Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop tablespoons of the dough onto the baking sheets about 1 1/2-inches apart. Sprinkle lightly with vanilla sugar, and place them in the oven. After 5 minutes, switch the pans around so that the one on top is on the bottom and the front sides are in the back. Check again in 4 minutes. Be careful—depending on the type of pan you use, they can go from underdone to burned in seconds (I found out the hard way!) They shouldn't need more than 11 minutes and will look soft on top, but they'll harden as they cool.

Remove from the oven and transfer onto cooling racks. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Note: I used regular (i.e. cheap) balsamic vinegar, but I'm sure you'd get more effect if you follow Danielle's instructions to make reduced balsamic.

Per cookie: 77 Calories (kcal); 3 g Total Fat; (29% calories from fat); 1 g Protein; 14 g Carbohydrate; 0 mg Cholesterol; 66 mg Sodium; 1 g Fiber



Fat-Free Balsamic Fudge Cookies
(click for printer-friendly version)

These fudgy-but-fat-free cookies have three chocolate enhancers: cinnamon, prunes, and balsamic vinegar. You probably won't be able to detect any of them in the finished product, but they lend the cookies a deeper, more chocolaty taste.

1 cup unbleached white flour (or use gluten-free baking flour)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
pinch cinnamon (optional)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
2/3 cup demerara sugar (or other vegan sugar)
1/2 cup prune puree (see note)
1/3 cup soy yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (see note #2)
Vanilla sugar (I did this the quick way by pulverizing a vanilla bean with sugar in my blender)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Mix the flour, soda, cinnamon, and salt together and set aside.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix the prune puree with the sugar and cocoa and stir to combine. Add the soy yogurt, vanilla extract, and balsamic and stir until mixed. Finally, add the flour mixture and stir just until it's combined—don't over-mix.

Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop tablespoons of the dough onto the baking sheets about 1 1/2-inches apart. Using the back of a spoon, flatten each cookie slightly and sprinkle with vanilla sugar. Place them in the oven. Bake for about 9 to 11 minutes—be careful not to burn the bottoms!

Remove from the oven and lift the parchment paper or silicone mats onto cooling racks. Allow to cool completely. These taste best cold and somehow even better the next day. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Note: I made prune puree simply by buying canned prunes and pureeing them in the blender. You can also buy a fat substitute, Wonderslim, which is essentially pureed prunes (or so I've heard), but it costs more and doesn't work any better. I've also heard of people using jars of babyfood prunes, but blending my own always made more sense to me. (Caution: don't use dried prunes!)

Note #2: I used regular (i.e. cheap) balsamic vinegar, but I'm sure you'd get more effect if you follow Danielle's instructions to make reduced balsamic.

Per cookie: 59 Calories (kcal); trace Total Fat; (4% calories from fat); 1 g Protein; 14 g Carbohydrate; 0 mg Cholesterol; 52 mg Sodium; 1 g Fiber

Thanks to Danielle at Habeas Brûlée for the original recipe!

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free