Wheat Free Vegan Cookie Dough Candy

I love chocolate chips cookies, but it is a well known secret that what I really like is the dough. Usually by the time the cookies are baked, I am so full that I can't enjoy them and shudder every time I pass whatever made it into the oven cooling on the counter. However, in addition to the raw egg, there are several other ingredients in cookie dough that I try to avoid these days - namely, flour and butter. Wheat free and vegan cookies have taken me quite a while to master, and even now I consider it a work in progress; cookie dough, on the other hand, I accomplished quite early.

Now, eating raw cookie dough out of the bowl with a group of friends is completely appropriate and something my college roommates and I did quite often, but for something slightly more dignified I've made these cookie dough candies. These were inspired by an offering at Dylan's Candy Bar in New York City.

The genius of this recipe is that it handily avoids so many of the pitfalls of vegan and wheat free baking. Nothing needs to rise, the dough needs to only barely cling together, and eggs are purposely avoided.

If you are an organized person, or are making a large batch over several days, I have found that chilling the dough makes the flavor of the dough incredible (see NY Times article). You can chill the dough after you've coated the balls in chocolate or before, which will also make them easier to coat. These little candies will last about a week and can be stored at room temperature, though many say they prefer them cold or even frozen especially over ice-cream.

Makes aprox. 30 candies.

COOKIE DOUGH CANDY INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 melted coconut oil

1 cup all purpose flour substitute (or a combination of flour and ground oatmeal)

1/4 tsp baking soda (optional)

pinch of salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup chocolate chips, chopped into smaller pieces (optional)

1 cup chopped good quality vegan chocolate for the coating

COOKIE DOUGH CANDY INSTRUCTIONS:

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda if using, salt, and brown sugar. Add the vanilla and both oils. You may need slightly more or slightly less oil. If you love chocolate, add the chopped chocolate chips. The mixture should be crumbly, but a bit oily so the dough stays moist. Shape the dough into little balls and refrigerate.

To coat the chocolate you need to temper it. This will ensure that your chocolate is shiny and doesn't get all over your hands when you're eating it. Ina Garten (the Barefoot Contessa) tempers her chocolate in the microwave and if you have one, it makes the treat quite easy. Melt half of the chocolate in a microwave bowl at 5 second intervals, stirring in between to make sure the chocolate is melting evenly. When it is all melted, add the remaining chopped chocolate and stir until melted. Alternatively, you can melt the first half of the chocolate in the top of a double boiler. When your chocolate is tempered, drop the balls of cookie dough in and carefully remove to dry on a piece of waxed paper or on top of a drying rack. If your tempering doesn't look quite right, and mine often doesn't especially if I've made several dozen, then a drizzle of melted chocolate will promptly restore the candy's appearance and confidence in yourself.

Small Note: I am not sure about the dietary properties of edible wax but if you want a truly professional look to your candies, this is what professional bakeries often use.