the tropical vegan

Maya Gold Orange Chocolate Chunk Cookies
(I know the name is a mouthful, but holy crap these cookies are good!)

2 1/2 c. flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 c. golden syrup*
1/2 c. grapeseed oil
1 orange
1 t. baking powder
100 g. Green & Black's Maya Gold chocolate bar**

Heat the oven to 180 (350 F). In a small-ish bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set it aside. Using a veggie peeler, peel the zest off the orange. Chop it up pretty finely. Then, cut off both ends of the orange and cut off all the white stuff, so there are no membranes. Cut the flesh (is that vegan?) out of the orange, in between the little membrane partitions. If you've ever watched food network, you probably know what I'm talking about. Blend up the orange flesh, then mix in baking powder. In a large bowl, mix brown sugar, golden syrup, oil, and orange puree. Add half the dry ingredients. Mix until it's just blended, then add the other half of the dry ingredients and mix until just blended. If it's too dry, add a bit of orange juice. If it's too gooey, add some more flour. Chop up chocolate bar, and fold in the chocolate chunks and the orange zest. Make sure you get all the little chocolate dust that sticks to the chopping board. Drop teaspoons of cookie dough onto a lightly greased cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool on the cookie sheet for a minute, then dig in (careful not to burn your mouth!).

* Golden syrup is this super sticky, sugar+water thing that is used in Australian baking. If you can't get any, I would use maple syrup, but you can try any other sticky liquid sweetener, like agave nectar or something.

** You can use another vegan chocolate of your choosing, but Maya Gold really is worth its weight in gold. Orangey chocolate that is laced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and some other mysterious flavours... Buy two bars, so you have one to eat and one to bake with. So good!