Wednesday, December 2, 2020

Mesquite Chocolate Chunk Cookies

These chocolate chip cookies are thin, chewy and given a huge flavour boost from mesquite flour. A small amount goes a long way to making every bite extraordinary!
 

Mesquite is a flavour and aroma that usually brings into mind memories of barbecue or slow, smokey camp outs. It's one of my favourite flavours of liquid smoke, and in fact was one of N and my first memories as a couple (he ordered a sandwich with mesquite BBQ sauce on our first date). So with our anniversary rolling around in mid November, I decided to honour (or poke fun at) the occasion and dug into my stash of mesquite flour to make these cookies.

While mesquite is almost always associated with savoury foods, it actually pairs really well with rich, sweet and "dark" flavours like brown sugar and bittersweet chocolate too! I enhanced the flavour of the mesquite by adding both whole wheat flour and flaxseeds, adding a lovely nuttiness to the overall cookie. That said, because of all the "thirsty" ingredients, it is imperative that these cookies rest in the fridge at least an hour to hydrate, otherwise they will have a gritty texture. The chunks of dark chocolate become ever so slightly oozy when they bake, even when cool, and add just the sublest hint of sweet and bitter to the dough. 

These cookies are definitely a great addition to the cookie platter at the holidays, if an unusual one. You can make them big or small, adjusting the bake time as necessary, and while they don't need adornment, there is nothing stopping you from throwing on a dash of sprinkles on top before baking for a little festive flair!
 
Mesquite Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Makes ~20
1/2 cup unsalted vegan buttery sticks (I used Becel), softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp ground flax seeds mixed with 1/2 cup warm water
1 tbsp vanilla
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup mesquite flour 
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
12 oz chopped dark chocolate
  1. In a bowl, cream together the "butter", sugars, flax mixture and vanilla until well mixed.
  2. Stir in the flours, baking soda and salt until almost blended, then fold in the chocolate chips.
  3. Wrap in plastic and chill at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.
  4. Heat the oven to 350F and line cookie sheets with parchment or SilPat.
  5. Scoop dough in two-tablespoon balls on the baking sheets, 2" apart. 
  6. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool on the sheets for 5 minutes, then remove to a rack and cool completely.

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