Cinnamon-Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies

While visiting our local coffee shop a couple of weeks ago, I signed up to participate in a Bake Off event to help support a great Canadian charity.  SchoolBOX is an organization that helps send communities in Nicaragua to school.  SchoolBOX constructs schools and provides its students and teachers with the necessary tools to bring literacy to life.  Equator Coffee Roasters‘ Bake Off event was this past Saturday.   From this bake sale, they raised well over $500 for SchoolBOX.

I decided that these cookies were perfect to bring to Equator Coffee for the sale.  Cookie monsters will go wild with their serious knock your socks off flavour!

The original recipe comes from Chloe Coscarelli’s awesome vegan cookbook, “Chloe’s Kitchen”.  I tweaked the recipe a bit by making them gluten-free and replacing the brown sugar with coconut sugar.  As well,  I substituted 2 tablespoons of a strong brew of espresso coffee for the instant espresso powder.

CINNAMON-ESPRESSO CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES 

• 2 cups gluten-free flour (see below for recipe to make your own mix)*
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup vegan margarine (I used Earth Balance)
• 2 tablespoons brewed espresso coffee, cooled to room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 1 1/2 cups vegan chocolate chips  (I used Enjoy Life)
• granulated sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk together flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl.

Using a mixer, beat vegan margarine, powdered sugar, and coconut sugar until well combined.  Mix in the flour mixture about 1/2 cup at a time. The dough will appear a little dry.  Add brewed espresso coffee and mix.  Stir in chocolate chips.

Using tablespoons, scoop out dough and roll in a small plate of granulated sugar.  Place each scoop on prepared baking sheets.  Cookies will spread in the oven, so allow for some space between each.  If you love crisp cookies like myself, then gently flatten the dough with the palm of your hand.

Bake for about 12-14 minutes.  Let cool before placing on a wired rack.

*GLUTEN-FREE FLOUR MIX (from Living Without)

I store this mix in a large glass container and keep it in my fridge.

• 2 cups brown rice flour
• 2 cups white rice flour
• 1 1/3 potato starch
• 2/3 tapioca starch