During those fleeting final days of summer, get the kids together in the kitchen to bake these easy chocolate chip cookies. They freeze brilliantly; after they have cooled, I place sets of two or three into small resealable plastic bags in the freezer to pull out and toss in lunch boxes on busy mornings. Let’s just hope you can get some in the freezer before they disappear!

  • Yields: 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients (10)

  • 2 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or barley flour)
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup nonhydrogenated margarine, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup packed golden brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup soft silken tofu, drained
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 cup vegan chocolate chips
  • 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, spray with nonstick spray, and set aside.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In another mixing bowl, combine the margarine, sugars, tofu, and vanilla. Beat with a handheld mixer until light and fluffy, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the dry ingredients and beat well. Fold in the chocolate chips and nuts with a spatula.
  4. Using a 1-ounce cookie scoop or a large spoon, place scoops of cookie dough on the baking sheets about 3 inches apart. Bake until golden brown around the edges, about 12 minutes.
  5. Using a spatula, transfer the cookies from the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
  6. Note: if it’s a warm day, place the bowl of cookie dough in the refrigerator between batches so the dough doesn’t get all melty (melty dough equals thin, flat cookies).

From the book Vegan Lunch Box by Jennifer McCann. Reprinted by arrangement with Da Capo Press, a member of the Perseus Books Group. Copyright © 2008.