Giant Salted Chocolate Chip & Walnut Cookies
I have to admit, I definitely made a hot, gooey mess indulging in these giant confections of goodness. As I am writing this blog post to delivery you the most incredible cookies you could possibly get your hands on (or all over your computer key board), I just can’t possible stop eating them. These Salted Chocolate Chip and Walnut Cookies are a copy cat recipe of the cookies found at one of my favourite Toronto bakeries, Le Gourmand. I used to eat their cookies on my lunch break on a daily basis before I went vegan. They are seriously the best cookies EVER, so naturally I had to veganize them. The combination of the crunch from the walnuts, the salt and the chocolate, combined into a giant, moist cookie make them to die for (and HIGHLY addictive). I will eat this whole batch to myself, there is no possible way to stop. I’m like the Cookie Monster without the blue hair. So if you have a cookie addiction like me, making a full batch can prove highly dangerous. You have been warned.
One of my favourite hacks for baking is using a silicon baking mat. Using this mat saves you on having to grease the baking pan (it’s a slippery slope) and saves on parchment paper, keeping your baking habits more environmentally friendly. You are also going to need all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, course or flaked salt, vegan butter, vegan shortening, light brown sugar, aquafaba, granulated white sugar, vanilla extract, dark chocolate chips and crushed walnuts for this cookie making magic.
To make, line a large baking sheet your silicon baking mat (or with parchment paper) and preheat the oven to 375F. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream butter and shortening until they come together, about 1 minute. Add both sugars and beat for an additional 1 1/2 minutes, or until well combined. Beat in the foamed aquafaba and vanilla extract until mixed. Add flour mixture, 1 cup at a time, and beat. It’s important not to over beat. Using a spatula or a paddle mixer, fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Divide the dough into 12 even pieces, shaping them into rough balls. They do not need to be perfectly round, so, DO NOT ROLL THEM. I use a scale for this, but you can eyeball it. Place all the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes, or up 8 hours. Bake cookies for 15-20 minutes, until light golden brown. You do not want to over bake these, so take them out earlier than you would normal cookies. They will continue to cook as they cool. Remove from oven and place on a wire cooling rack. Enjoy them with your loved ones, if you have the self control required not to eat them all yourself.
Notes
You can leave out the walnuts if you have a nut allergy and replace with more chocolate chips or another nut or seed of your choosing. Make sure the cookie is under cooked. It will keep baking as it cools, so be sure to take them out of the oven early.
- 3 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp coarse or flaked salt (sea, kosher etc)
- ¾ cup vegan butter, cut into cubes + cold
- ¼ cup vegan shortening, cut into cubes + cold
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- 6 tbsp aquafaba, lightly beaten in a separate bowl until foamy
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1½ cups dark chocolate chips or chunks
- 1¼ cup crushed walnuts
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 375F.
- In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream butter and shortening until they come together, about 1 minute.
- Add both sugars and beat for an additional 1½ minutes, or until well combined.
- Beat in the foamed aquafaba and vanilla extract until mixed.
- Add flour mixture, 1 cup at a time, and beat. Do not overbeat.
- Using a spatula or a paddle mixer, fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
- Divide the dough into 12 even pieces, shaping them into rough balls. They do not need to be perfectly round, so, DO NOT ROLL THEM. I use a scale for this, but you can eyeball it.
- Place all the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes, or up 8 hours.
- Bake cookies for 15-20 minutes, until light golden brown. You do not want to over bake these so take them out earlier than you would normal cookies. They will continue to cook as they cool. Remove from oven and place on a wire cooling rack.
Irene says:
I’m going to make these as they look so wonderful. But for my purposes this week, I need smaller cookies. I’d like to have ones half the size so I get 24 cookies. Would you know how long I should bake them? Or an internal temperature? I worry about overbaking! They look so yummy. I have the big ones scheduled for this weekend! Thank you!