Vegan Choco Chip & Pistachio Cookies!

My friend Tara put this recipe together for me for my original blog many moons ago, but it's such a damn good recipe I felt like it had to be shared again through Blonde Ambitionz too. They aren't super healthy... but they aren't hugely fat ridden either. I feel like the coconut oil makes them a little lighter in cookie choices... OK they are just literally one of the tastiest cookies in town, you'd be crazy not to give them a go!! 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp kosher salt

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup extra virgin, unrefined coconut oil

1/2 cup granulated sugar (or coconut palm sugar)

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1 tbsp flax meal + 3 tbsp very warm water*

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup chopped pistachios, shells removed (Salted or unsalted, it's up to you. I prefer the salty kick.)

1/2 cup chocolate chips (3/4 cup if you want it super chocolatey; I use non-dairy chocolate chips)

How we do:

~Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. (Silicone baking mats aren't the best choice when working with coconut oil cookie dough. The silicone mat allows the batter to spread too much and you'll end up with thin cookies.)

~Mix flax meal and water together in a small bowl and allow it to gel and absorb all the water. Set aside. (Do not add flax meal and water mixture to sugar until it has thickened and absorbed the water. This usually takes about 10 minutes for me.)

~In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.

~Using a mixer, cream coconut oil and sugars together until completely incorporated. I use my hand mixer to mix the oil and sugar for about 3 minutes, then use my spatula to make sure it's all creamed together nicely and not crumbly.

~Add flax meal water mixture and vanilla and beat for an additional 2 minutes. With mixer on low, slowly add dry ingredients. Mix until just incorporated. Don't over mix. Now it will be a little crumbly.

~Stir in pistachios and chocolate chips. Again, the dough will be crumbly, but it'll form nicely into tablespoon size balls of cookie dough. Place balls on prepared cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Allow cookies to cool on cookie sheet for another 2 minutes. 

Transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Devour.