1/2 c. aqua faba (liquid drained off of a can of beans) [equivalent to 4 egg whites]

1 c. corn syrup

4 t. vanilla

1 1/2 c. dairy-free margarine

1 1/2 c. sugar

3 1/2 c. white flour

3/4 c. cocoa powder

1 T. chipotle chili powder

2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar until smooth and fluffy. Add the corn syrup, aquafaba and vanilla and beat until blended.

In a large measuring cup or small bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, chipotle chili powder, baking powder and salt. Add to the butter and sugar mixture and beat just until blended (texture will be like thick frosting; very weird). Chill for 30 min. to allow dough to set.

Preheat oven to 375º F

Roll the dough into balls and roll balls in chipotle sugar (proportions: 1/2 t. chipotle powder for every T. of sugar; 1/2 c. sugar was sufficient for the whole batch) to coat. Put bowl of cookie dough bake in the fridge to keep cool. Place on baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake for 10 min., until cookies are puffed and cracked. cool on tray for 5 min. before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Optional: roll balls in 1/2 c. chopped pecans after rolling them in the chipotle sugar

This recipe makes an INSANE number of cookies. It made over 10 dozen, although only 8 dozen were good enough to send to the ale. Next time I think I will cut the recipe down a bit (make 3/4 of a recipe; see how that goes).

These are kind of tricky to bake. I ended up doing kind of a round robin thing, because I found they baked best when started on the top rack of the oven, and then moved to the bottom rack of the oven. So I would put the cookies in on the top shelf, then after 5 min. move them down to the bottom shelf and put a new tray in on the top. Once I removed them from the oven, I would let them cool for 5 min., and then I would refill that tray. So every five minutes the sequence went like this: take out bottom tray; move top tray to bottom; put new tray on the top; remove cool cookies from tray; refill tray with next cookies; return cookie dough to fridge; ~1 min. to breathe – rinse and repeat 10 times. Yikes!

This is a veganized version of my Chili Chocolate Crackles

Yield: 129 cookies