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Vegan Ginger-Molasses Cookies from Chloe Coscarelli

(Photo credit: Atria Books) (Photo credit: Simon and Schuster/Atria Books)

Chef Chloe Coscarelli is a Food Network-winning vegan chef, proving to the world that vegan food can be stylish, delicious, and easy. She recently took home first place in the Food Network's "Cupcake Wars," making her the first vegan ever to win on a Food Network competition. Chloe is a graduate of The Natural Gourmet Institute of Health and Culinary Arts NYC, the University of California, Berkeley, as well as Cornell University's Plant Based Nutrition Program by Dr. T. Colin Campbell (The China Study). Additional work includes: Millennium Restaurant San Francisco, Counter Organic Vegetarian Bistro New York City, and Herbivore Restaurant Berkeley. To learn more about Chef Chloe, visit her website at chefchloe.com

Have a vegan or dairy-free diner coming to dinner or to holiday cookie swap? These cookies are a great way to satisfy everyone—regardless of dietary restrictions or preferences! My ginger-molasses cookies have the perfect balance of sugar and spice. Molasses gives them soft and chewy centers, which I prefer over traditional crunchy ginger snaps. Plus, ginger aids in digestion, making these the perfect after-dinner cookies! For more vegan recipes, check out my book Chloe's Vegan Desserts.

Related: Carrie Morey's Black Pepper Biscuits

Chewy Ginger-Molasses Cookies

Makes Thirty-Four 2½-inch Cookies

Make-Ahead Tip: Cookie dough can be made in advance and kept refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 1 month.

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1½ teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ cup vegan margarine
¾ cup sugar, plus extra for rolling
½ cup molasses
1 tablespoon water

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 or 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.

Using a stand or hand mixer, beat margarine, sugar, molasses, and water until well combined. Slowly beat in the flour mixture. Scoop about 1 rounded tablespoon of dough at a time, and roll the domed part of each scoop in sugar. Place them onto the prepared baking sheets and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on the pan.

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Chef Chloe Coscarelli is a Food Network-winning vegan chef, proving to the world that vegan food can be stylish, delicious, and easy. She recently took home first place in the Food Network's "Cupcake Wars," making her the first vegan ever to win on a Food Network competition. Chloe is a graduate of The Natural Gourmet Institute of Health and Culinary Arts NYC, the University of California, Berkeley, as well as Cornell University's Plant Based Nutrition Program by Dr. T. Colin Campbell (The China Study). Additional work includes: Millennium Restaurant San Francisco, Counter Organic Vegetarian Bistro New York City, and Herbivore Restaurant Berkeley. To learn more about Chef Chloe, visit her website at chefchloe.com

Copyright © 2013 by Chloe Coscarelli. Reprinted with permission of Atria Books, a division of Simon and Schuster. For more information on Chloe's Vegan Desserts or other great cookbooks from Simon and Schuster, sign up for our Read Before Eating Newsletter!

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