Vegan brookies

Step 1

Break up chocolate with your hands - or hit an unopened packet against your workbench a few times for a sort of therapy ;) . Place chocolate and coconut oil in a glass bowl over a water bath (bain-marie). Make sure the bowl doesn't touch the water. Simmer on a very low heat until the chocolate has melted. Give the mixture a good stir and take the bowl off the heat to cool down.

Step 2

Place ground hazelnuts, cornflour / cornstarch, buckwheat flour and baking powder in a small bowl. Mix very well.

Step 3

Pre-heat the oven to 175° C / 345° F. Line a baking tray with a piece of baking paper.

Step 4

In a clean metal or glass bowl whip aquafaba until you get stiff peaks. It is very important that the bowl has no grease residue as this will prevent the aquafaba from reaching stiff peaks. Once the aquafaba is at the stiff peaks stage (turn the bowl upside down, if aquafaba does not slide down at all, it means that it has reached stiff peaks) start adding sugar very gradually, half a tablespoon at the time, whipping well after each addition.

Step 5

Gradually (and gently so that you don't knock too much air out of the whipped aquafaba) fold flour and baking powder mixture into whipped aquafaba with a spatula or a spoon.

Step 6

Next, incorporate melted chocolate slowly until you achieve an even looking batter.

Step 7

Spoon the batter onto the prepared baking tray. I went for 9 large cookies, but you can make 12 smaller ones instead. Decorate the tops with chopped hazelnuts (if using) or sprinkle with some salt.

Step 8

Bake for about 10 (smaller ones) to 12 minutes (larger ones). Remove the tray from the oven and allow the cookies to cool down completely before eating (they may be a little fragile until they are cool). Your cookies will end up with lots of little cracks on the surface (like you get on top of a brownie). Mine didn't as I accidentally used too little sugar for the photographed batch.