Peanut Butter Blossoms

These were my favorite cookie when I was growing up. My Mom would pretty much only make these for Christmas and I'd spend the rest of the year pining for them. This year I asked her for the recipe and found them surprisingly easy to create vegan versions!

The Stuff

• 1 3/4 cups flour (you can use half whole wheat pastry flour)
• 1/2 sugar (evaporated cane juice)
• 1 t baking soda
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 cup shortening (Spectrum Naturals or Earth Balance)
• 2 T soy milk (rice or almond would work fine)
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 t vanilla
• 2 T golden flaxseed meal (Bob's Red Mill) whisked with 3 T water
• Extra sugar to roll cookies in
• 2 large bars of dark chocolate (70% cacao or more) broken into rough squares or rectangles (I used the Theo Jane Goodall bars)
  

The Making

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

Blend all ingredients at low speed in a large bowl until a stiff dough forms. Shape dough into 1" balls and roll each ball in sugar. Place balls 2" apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown.

Immediately top each cookie with a piece of chocolate. Press down firmly and into the hot cookie so they crack around edge. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 3 dozen.