Chocolate-tea-spice-fruit...Cookies

It was a cookie day from the start. I bought some great tea at a small shop in Brookline new Hampshire (Possibly my favorite even before Tea Luxe - a close second).

I wanted to bake some fresh cookies as my supply of Scotchies has just now come to an end.

This recipe comes from The 100 Best vegan Baking Recipes. It's a simple vegan chocolate cookie recipe which I decided to spice up and Whole-Grain(ify).

The cookies are huge (but that's my doing), hearty in texture, complex in flavor - if I may say so: These be not the simple snacks from the back of the Tollhouse Bag.

Try them with a delicious cup of Green, Chai, or Rooibis.

Nooks and Crannays...

Whole-Grain (Vegan) Chocolate Chip Cookies of Glory

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup unprocessed wheat bran

1/2 cup sugar (Raw Cane? Certainly)

1/2 cup packed Brown Sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 tsp cornstarch

1 tbsp flax meal

A Healthy dose of ginger - roasted - and some cinnamon

a splash of your favorite loose leaf tea (thank you accidental spills and a need to avoid waste)

1/4 cup soy milk (or whichever you prefer)

1/2 cup butter (vegan, or otherwise) softened

1/2 cup applesauce (unsweetened, chunky, smooth, cinnamon - you choose!)

1/2 cup chocolate chips (or butterscotch - semisweet or milk chocolates...)

1/2 cup blend of dried fruits - cherries, raisins, Craisins...

Combine each of the dry ingredients. Separately combine each of the wet ingredients and add the fruit. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, adding the chocolate chips and any more milk you might need to ensure a good, thick but moist consistency.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. these will brown up a bit - they're thick and moist so worry not, they shouldn't burn (or reflect any overdoneness)