Cashew Butter Crunch Cookies Recipe

Cashew Butter Crunch Cookies

Makes about 5 dozen

30 minutes or fewer

Maya Weinstein, an art/design student in Lafayette, CO, has always enjoyed being in the kitchen. "I grew up in an atmosphere where home-cooked, fresh foods were valued," she says. Maya has been a vegetarian for 13 years, and a vegan for several of those years.

1 ½ cups all purpose flour
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 Tbs. brown sugar
¼ cup silken tofu
1 cup cashew butter
½ cup vegan margarine
½ cup agave nectar or maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
⅓ cup vegan chocolate chips
⅓ cup chopped peanuts or cashews

Preheat oven to 350F. Line cookie sheets with parchment or wax paper.
Combine flour, baking soda, salt and brown sugar in large bowl; whisk to blend.
Put tofu in another large bowl; whisk until smooth. Add cashew butter, margarine, agave nectar and vanilla; stir to blend well. Stir in flour mixture until blended, then fold in chocolate chips and chopped nuts.
Form heaping tablespoonfuls of batter into balls; place on prepared cookie sheets and press into 1 1/2- to 2-inch rounds.
Bake cookies about 10 minutes, or until bottoms are golden brown. Transfer cookies to rack to cool.