Years and years ago, I picked up Vive le Vegan, a cookbook by Dreena Burton. The pages are stained and annotated with my comments now. I've probably made every recipe at least once. The dessert section is wonderful, filled with several different cookie recipes, and I can say they are all delicious. I stumbled upon the listing for it on Amazon recently and was surprised to see it is now out of print which was disappointing to discover since it contains my absolute favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe of all time.

I've baked up a quick batch for some badly needed comfort food or to just satisfy my chocolate-fueled sweet tooth. Friends and family have asked me to bring some to birthday parties and holiday gatherings. However, that's not what made this particular cookie recipe so special for me. You see, almost every time I've made them, my daughter was either helping or keeping me company while I've worked. For many years, she would stand in our learning tower while we worked together. She's outgrown the learning tower now but still measures the flour and pours the vanilla extract. 

A few tweaks have been made to the original recipe over the years but it's still very close to what appears in the original cookbook. So, I'm presenting my chocolate chip cookie recipe to you.

A couple notes:

* If you can find them. Tropical Source chocolate chips are amazing. Even if you don't have any on hand, I've tried these with many different brands and it's tasted great every time.

* The cooling time is important as these can dry out or harden if left on the cookie sheet longer than is listed.

Ingredients:

1 cup white flour (I use unbleached)

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/3 cup chocolate chips plus a few extra

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil (a little full)

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. black strap molasses

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 350.

2. Spray cookie sheet with non-stick spray.

3. In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add salt and sugar. Stir until well combined. Mix in chocolate chips.

4. In a smaller separate bowl, combine vanilla, maple syrup, and black strap molasses together with a fork or small whisk.

5. Add oil and stir until well combined.

6. Add wet ingredients to dry. Stir until well combined. Just a few quick strokes should do it. Do not over-mix.

7. Drop small spoonfuls onto the baking sheet and press down slightly to flatten.

8. Bake for ten minutes. 

9. Cool on the baking sheet for one minute. Any longer and they tend to dry out. Transfer to a cooling rack. 

10. Eat!

Makes approximately 16-18 small cookies.