Vegan Chocolate Crinkles (cookies) Recipe

I absolutely love these chocolate crinkle cookies, and I’ve made them more times than I can count—mostly because my daughters simply wouldn’t stop asking for them.

What I love most about this recipe is how forgiving it is. These cookies turn out beautifully no matter which flour I use. I truly believe they would also be delicious with buckwheat or brown rice flour if you’d like to make them gluten-free. The texture is one of the best parts: slightly crisp on the outside, with a soft, brownie-like center. More than one person has told me they taste just like little brownies—which has me thinking that next time, I might bake half the batter in a brownie pan just to see what happens.

For best results, I recommend using proper measuring cups and spoons.

Ingredients

• ¾ cup sugar (I use organic cane sugar or brown sugar—both work equally well)

• ⅓ cup oil (sunflower or safflower oil are my go-to choices)

• ⅓ cup plant-based milk (almond or soy milk both work great)

• 2 tablespoons maple syrup

• ½ cup semi-dark chocolate chips or 100 grams semi-dark vegan chocolate, melted

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 1½–2 cups flour (I’ve used whole spelt flour, whole wheat pastry flour, and white all-purpose flour with great results. For a gluten-free version, try buckwheat or brown rice flour.)

  Update: Based on feedback from readers, flour performance can vary. Start with 1½ cups of flour and add more only if needed.

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 4 tablespoons good-quality cocoa powder

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C).

2. Melt the chocolate chips (or dark chocolate) using a bain-marie or the microwave. If using the microwave, heat in 10-second intervals, stirring between each, until fully melted.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, plant-based milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, salt, and melted chocolate until smooth.

4. Using a sieve, sift the flour, baking powder, and cocoa powder directly into the bowl. Gently mix with a spatula until a soft dough forms.

5. Sift some powdered sugar into a deep plate.

6. Form small balls from the dough and roll them generously in the powdered sugar, coating them on all sides.

7. Place the dough balls on a lined baking sheet and bake for about 14 minutes, until the cookies are set and the tops crack.

8. Let the cookies cool slightly on the baking sheet, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Vegan Challah Recipe

This recipe makes a soft, fluffy, and beautifully airy challah.

I started making this vegan challah every week for my daughter’s Jewish school. Because the traditional challah contains eggs, she couldn’t enjoy it with her friends. So I set out to create a version she could eat—and still love. After a few weeks, something wonderful happened: most of the kids actually preferred this challah over the one served at school. Total win. 

Ingredients:

Dry ingredients:

• 5 cups white all-purpose flour, or whole wheat/spelt, or any mix you like

• 1 tablespoon dry yeast

• ½ tablespoon fine salt

Wet ingredients:

• ⅓ cup soy milk or almond milk

• ¼ cup canola oil

• 3 tablespoons agave nectar

In a 2-cup measuring cup, mix all the wet ingredients together with a fork. Then add water until the total liquid reaches 2 cups.

Directions

1. Place all the dry ingredients in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook and mix briefly.

2. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl.

3. Mix on low speed (speed 2) for about 2 minutes, or until the dough comes together.

4. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes. This helps the gluten develop.

5. Mix again on low speed for another 5 minutes. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl and lightly stick to the bottom.

   • If it’s too dry, add water one tablespoon at a time.

   • If it’s too sticky, add flour one tablespoon at a time.

6. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface.

7. Knead by hand for about 2 minutes.

8. Shape the dough into a smooth ball.

9. Lightly oil the dough and place it back in the mixer bowl.

10. Cover with a plastic bag and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 60–90 minutes.

11. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

12. Once the dough has doubled, move it to a lightly floured surface. Cut it in half (for two challahs), then divide each half into as many strands as you’d like.

13. Braid the challah strands. (Here’s a helpful video: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-0M4q56UUyo )

14. )

15. Place the braided loaves on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

16. Brush lightly with canola oil.

17. Cover loosely with a plastic bag and let rise again for about 1 hour (roughly 20% less time than the first rise).

18. Brush with a mixture of 1 tablespoon soy milk and 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle some sesame seeds. Recently, I've been using Just Egg for the egg wash and the results are identical to non-vegan eggs. 

19. Bake for about 40 minutes.

20. The challah is ready when you tap the bottom and hear a hollow sound.

21. Let cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.

Tunisian Harissa Recipe

This is a recipe for authentic Harissa I’ve learned to make from my grandmother. In many Tunisian recipes I’ll post in the future, I will call for Harissa. You can make it very spicy or not spicy at all.

The size of the chilis to use is about the size of the California chilies (google it).

You can make a lot of it and freeze in Ziploc bags. it will last for a year in the freezer so once you’re done with it, you don’t have to worry about making it again for a long time.

The recipe:

1. Take a very big bag of California chilies (or similar – California are more on the mild side – so it is a good start) – about 40.

2. Clean them well from all seeds and stem, leaving the red part only.

3. Wash well and soak in water for 30 minutes. drain in a colander, the water will be still dirty from dust etc’

4. Soak the chilies for additional 30 minutes.

5. drain the chilies and put it in a Cuisinart with S shape blade (as see in the pic above)

6. Add a LOT of garlic (approximately 25-35 cloves) and grind it all into a smooth paste. If it is slightly hard to grind into a paste and you have big pieces of chilies left, add water by a teaspoon until it becomes a paste.

7. Transfer the paste into a bowl. Add about two tablespoons of grey Atlantic salt and mix well.

8. Wait 10 minutes – let the salt dissolve in the Harissa.

9. Add about quarter of a cup of Canola oil and mix well.

10. Divide into 10-15 portions in a Ziploc or small plastic containers. freeze all but one to put in the refrigerator.

11. Pour a bit of canola oil on top of the Harissa in the container that you put in the refrigerator.

Harrisa is good as is. put it on bread with a slice of tomato or Tofu, add a bit of lemon when you serve next to your favorite spreads and bread or serve next to almost any dish.

There are, of course many Tunisian dishes that use Harissa that I plan to post their recipes in the future.