Vegan chocolate chocolate chip cookies

Vegan Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

makes 2 dozen 

original non-vegan recipe available here

• 1/2 c Earth Balance
• 3/4 c sugar
• 1 egg replacer (I use Ener-G)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 c flour
• 1/3 c cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 c vegan white chocolate chips (semi-sweet will also work!)

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Cream together Earth Balance and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Prepare egg replacer according to package (For Ener-G it is 1 1/2 tsp powder with 2 tbs warm water) and add to creamed mixture along with vanilla.
4. Sift together the try ingredients. You MUST sift cocoa powder! It's bad news otherwise, so don't be lazy! Add to wet ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
5. Scoop by heaping teapsoons onto an ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool before removing from pan.

 These are really good. Like, really really good. We bought white chocolate chips from Food Fight over the weekend and I have been waiting to make them. It definitely did not disappoint. This recipe is a half batch of the original recipe, but you might want to double it to make the full 4 dozen. They're that yummy.

Cherry vanilla cupcakes

It has been a little bit since I've updated so to make up for it, here's a recipe for cherry vanilla frosting. I made these a few weeks ago with a vegan vanilla cake recipe from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, but they would taste delicious with my chocolate Wowie cake recipe. I got this recipe from my cousin and used Earth Balance to make it vegan. Earth Balance costs a pretty penny (about$5-$6 a pound), but the Blue Bonnet Light margarine is actually vegan and only costs about $0.75.

Cherry Vanilla Frosting

• 1 stick butter, softened (or 1/2 stick Earth Balance and 1/4 c shortening to make it vegan, it will be too salty if you use all Earth Balance! Trust me on this one!)
• 1 lb powdered sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1/2 tsp almond extract

• maraschino cherry juice

• optional garnishes: toasted almond slivers, sprinkles, cherries (make sure to let them drain on a paper towel to remove the liquid or else you'll get soggy frosting pools on the cupcake)

1.  Cream together softened butter (or Earth Balance shortening mix) and powdered sugar, adding sugar one cup at a time, until smooth.
2. Add vanilla and almond flavorings until incorporated. 
3. Add maraschino cherry juice by tablespoon until mixture is light and fluffy.
4. Frost and enjoy!