Epipen Apron- ChocolateCherryChewies

As you all know, we have serious food allergy issues around here, including milk and eggs. 
As you also know, I love to bake.  I mean, love to bake. 
These two facts tend to snarl at each other and make bitey faces.  They don't get along. 
But because of my deep love for both homemade confections and keeping my children alive, I have become an allergy/baking mediator. 
It's an ongoing process.  But I've pretty much got the opposing sides down to a few snarky comments and mild glares across the room. 
I am not trained in this art; I make it up as I go along.  So to both record successes where they occur (so I don't forget them) and share with anyone else who has similarly warring factions residing in their kitchens, I thought I'd start sharing some of my tactics on here. 
How about beginning with the treats I threw together last night? 
I was cleaning up after dinner, when I came across some candied cherries left over from a long ago recipe which called for, like, three.  Then what's a girl to do with a bunch of candied cherries that just sit on the shelf and stare at people?  There are no free rides in this house, people!  I decided it was time for those cherries to earn their keep. 

Vegan Chocolate-Cherry-Chewies   (alliteration is fun)

1 Stick of softened Earth Balance margarine
1/2 Cup brown sugar
1/4 Cup white sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
1 flax egg
1 heaping cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp corn starch
Half a bag of ghiradelli semi-sweet chocolate chips*
Half cup maraschino cherries, chopped

Cream together the Earth Balance with the sugars. 
Add the vanilla and pre-whipped up flax egg and beat until smooth.
Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and corn starch and add slowly to the sugar mixture.  Beat on medium speed until combined. 
Stir in chocolate chips and cherries
Bake at 375 for 11 minutes. 
Yum.

A couple of notes.
1) Don't switch the Earth Balance for some other margarine.  I'm not getting kickbacks for saying so (unfortunately) but truly no other brand comes as close to actual butter in baking.  I'll have to try these with coconut cream one day, that might be yummy.  But if for now, only Earth Balance sticks. 

2) A flax egg is just ground flax seeds mixed with water.  You can buy flax meal at Trader Joes, Whole Foods, sometimes regular grocery stores in the health food section. When you whip them up with a fork, they will reach the consistency of a raw egg.  I just estimate the ratio based on making sure that consistency is right, and then use an egg's worth of the goo, rather than measure exactly how much flax to water. Even though most bakers prefer exact measurements, it always turns out better this way. 

3) Don't argue with me about the corn starch.  Just do it.  Trust me.

4) As a disclaimer for allergy people, the ghiradelli people are serious about warning that these chips are made on the same production line as dairy products.  The line is washed off between products, but there could always be trace amounts remaining.  Those with doubts should use a true vegan or dairy-free chocolate chip.  But Little One is as sensitive to dairy as it gets, and I've used these (too) many times over the years without issue.  Plus, they are in my opinion the absolute best tasting of the lot of vegan chocolate chips, especially for cookies.

5) Because of the flax and the high ratio of brown sugar, these cookies turn out a little darker than a typical chocolate chip cookie.  But eleven minutes is about perfect, they will still be soft and chewy.


And there you go. Just skip these posts if you are like me and know deep in your heart that there is no substitute for butter.  But if you are a veganish or allergic baker, check back and click the "Epipen Apron" tag.  Our cookie jar is never empty.