When you need a treat, try this really delicious cookie recipe, adapted from America’s Test Kitchen’s Vegan for Everybody Cookbook. Remember to build in extra “resting” time for this one. It is necessary for the ingredients to combine.  This works just as well with gluten free flour.

Makes 16 to 24 cookies

Difficulty level: easy

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1⅓ cups packed organic light brown sugar
• ½ cup plant based butter, melted and cooled
• 6 tablespoons water room temperature
• ⅓ cup unsalted creamy almond butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
• 1¼ cups (7½ ounces) semisweet or dark chocolate chips or chunks
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or other favorite nut), optional

Instructions:

1. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in bowl. Beat sugar, melted plant butter, water, almond butter, and vanilla in large bowl until well combined and smooth. Beat in ground flax seeds.  Using rubber spatula, stir flour mixture into oil mixture until just combined. Add additional water if needed to form a batter like consistency, 1 tablespoon at a time. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts.
2. Cover bowl with towel and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour to 4 hours. (Or refrigerate for up to 24 hours; let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before proceeding.)
3. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop dough in 2 to 3 tablespoon portions, 2 inches apart on prepared sheets.
4. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until light golden and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 12 to 14 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Let cookies cool completely on sheet.