Vegan Dark Chocolate Blackout Cookies

Calling all chocolate lovers. Our Vegan Dark Chocolate Blackout Cookies have an intense chocolate flavor from the dark chocolate that's perfectly complemented by the addition of espresso powder. We top these cookies of with a sprinkle of coarse salt for that irresistible salty sweetness.

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Prep time25 min
Cooking time13 min
DifficultyMedium

Ingredients

2 1/2 tablespoons ground flaxseed meal
11 to 12 ounces 60% or higher dark chocolate *,divided
6 tablespoons Country Crock® Plant Butter Sticks with Olive Oil,at room temperature
1 teaspoon instant espresso coffee powder **(Optional)
3/4 cup coconut sugar or light brown sugar, loosely packed
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
Topping: sea salt flakes + reserved chocolate chip or pieces of chocoalte

Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)

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(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Instructions

Remove the Country Crock Plant Butter from the fridge to come to room temperature. Whisk together the flaxseed meal with 6 tablespoons water until well combined. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes to help it gel and set. This is your “flax egg.”
Meanwhile, prepare a double boiler to melt the chocolate and butter. Add a few inches of water to a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Nestle a large heatproof glass bowl that sits on top of the saucepan without touching the water to create a double boiler. Once the water is simmering, add the softened Country Crock Plant Butter and the 9 ounces of the dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate to the bowl. Stir frequently with a spatula until the mixture is just melted. Take off the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature. (Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate and Country Crock Plant Butter in a microwave-safe bowl and melt in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval.)
While the chocolate is cooling, whisk together the espresso powder with 2 tablespoons of water. Or, if using coffee, measure out 2 tablespoons very strongly brewed coffee
Once the chocolate-butter mixture is cooled to room temperature, add the diluted espresso, sugar, vanilla, and flax eggs. Whisk until well combined.
In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and sea salt
Using a fine mesh sieve, sift the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture, stirring until just combined. The batter should be relatively thin, like brownie batter more than cookie batter. Using a silicone spatula, fold in *almost* all of the remaining chocolate chips or chopped chocolate. Reserve a few pieces of the chocolate for the topping after the cookies have been baked.
Cover the batter and refrigerate it for 1 hour (or longer) to firm up. When you remove it from the fridge, allow it to rest at room temperature for 5 minutes before scooping.
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line two half-sheet pans or large cookie trays with parchment paper. Use your hands to form large uniform-sized balls, about 4 tablespoons per cookie. Space them apart on the two sheet pans, no more than 6 cookies per sheet. (NOTE: I got 12 large cookies, though we could have probably made 1 or 2 more cookies; we ate some batter).
If you can, return the pans to the fridge for 15-20 minutes. This prevents them from spreading as much when they’re baking.
Bake for 13-14 minutes, or until the edges look set but the center still looks a bit gooey. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with flaky sea salt and the reserved chocolate chips or chopped chocolate. Allow cookies to rest for 5-10 minutes before transferring the cookies to cool completely on wire racks. Makes 14 very large cookies

Recipe by Nisha Vora @rainbowplantlife * You can use dark chocolate bars and/or chocolate chips. I typically use Whole Foods 365 brand of dark chocolate chunks or Guittard 63% dark chocolate chips. If you use bars, use a serrated knife to chop the chocolate into small pieces. You will melt 3/4 of the chocolate (9 ounces) with the vegan butter in step 2; reserve the remaining 1/4 of the chocolate (3 ounces or 85g) to fold into the batter. ** If you don’t have espresso powder, you can omit it or use 2 tablespoons of *very* strongly brewed coffee.