nut cookies (vegan and non-vegan)

walnut-chocolate nut cookie
let me just get it out once and for all: i am not the cookie eater in this den of cookie jars. which is one reason why my cookies are generally not vegan (obvious disclaimer). although i certainly can and do appreciate a good cookie, they are not my snack food of choice. i have salt-tooth, not a sweet-tooth. i'll take a pretzel or a chip or a briney olive over a cookie any day.

but my man likes cookies. not vegan cookies but "real" cookies. the whole he-man nine yard thing, full of eggs and butter (but not too much butter please) and sugar and nuts and chocolate and the like. so once every couple of weeks i make a batch of cookies for the cookie jar. and since i've been on a deborah madison kick lately i thought i'd try out one of her simple cookie recipes (i was much more intrigued by the cardamom cookies but had no powdered sugar on hand). the following recipe is what i settled on since i had all the ingredients, and i'm glad i did. they've become the most requested cookie of late.


walnut-only nut cookie
the resulting cookies are not too sweet with a nice crispy texture. they are rich but not greasy. i split the batch into two and made one with just walnuts and the other with walnuts and chocolate chips. i preferred the simpler flavor and texture of the nut-only version but both are quite delicate and delicious. they would go well with a cup of hot earl-grey tea on a rainy afternoon.

since i liked these cookies and they don't require any loft, i decided to try to veganize them by substituting margarine and non-hydrogenated shortening for the butter and 1 mashed banana for the egg. the vegan version suffered a bit in texture (not quite as delicate) but had a great flavor and an acceptable texture. i'm going to continue working on this recipe as i think it has a lot of unfulfilled potential. the he-man of the house gave them a double thumbs down, but then again, he would....

nut cookies
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1 Tablespoon nut oil (optional - if using oil, reduce butter by 1 Tablespoon)
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups flour
1 cup finely chopped nuts (walnuts, macadamias, hazelnuts, pecans, your choice)
1/2 ounces finely chopped bittersweet chocolate or chocolate chips (optional-i just use chocolate chips)

cream butter, oil and sugar until light. add egg. add vanilla and salt. add flour, then nuts and chocolate (if using). drop dough by teaspoons onto a cookie sheet (the dough will be quite sticky) and flatten out really thin with the palm of your hand. you may need to slightly dampen your hand to prevent sticking. or you can roll the dough into a compact log shape, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for several hours (or days), removing from the freezer and slicing when ready to bake. i don't recommend doing this for the chocolate chip version as the chocolate chunks make it difficult to slice the dough without cracking it. bake in a preheated oven at 375 for 8-10 minutes. allow to cool on rack.

vegan banana nut cookies
1/4 cup earth balance margarine
1/4 cup non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening (may omit and use all margarine)
1 Tablespoon nut oil (optional - if using oil, reduce margarine or shortening by 1 Tablespoon)
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 banana, mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups flour + 2 Tablespoons
1 cup finely chopped nuts (walnuts or macadamias)

cream margarine, shortening, oil and sugar until light. add mashed banana. add vanilla and salt. add flour, then nuts. drop dough by teaspoons onto a cookie sheet (the dough will be quite sticky) and flatten out with the palm of your hand. you may need to slightly dampen your hand to prevent sticking. or you can roll the dough into a compact log shape and freeze for several hours (or days), removing from the freezer and slicing when ready to bake. bake in a preheated oven at 375 for 8-10 minutes. allow to cool on rack. these might be quite good with a little grated, unsweetened coconut in the batter...