Random Cookies of Kindness

To get in the spirit of giving, and truly enjoy the best part of the holidays (the thank yous and praise), I am sending out cookies. This year, I took part in the Reddit Secret Santa program, which had over 17000 participants.  The subreddit is overrun with people doing random acts of kindness, sending out holiday cards, and in my case, I've found a few of these people and am sending them back cookies!  I have two confirmed cookie recipients, and am waiting for a few replies.  If by chance someone says no, I'm sure someone will step up for a cookie care package.

Left: Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodle
Right: Chocolate Chip Walnut w/ Orange Zest and Cardamom

As per my norm I won't post published recipes, but thankfully the Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodle Recipe is available on the PostPunkKitchen!

My chocolate chip recipe is modified from the Ghirardelli recipe found on the semi-sweet chocolate chip bag.

Ingredients:

• 2-1/4C unsifted flour
• 1tsp baking soda
• 1/2tsp salt
• 1-1/2tsp cardamom
• 1C Earth Balance (2 sticks, I used Earth Balance buttery spread)
• 1C packed brown sugar
• 1/2C sranulated sugar
• 2tsp vanilla extract
• 2Tbsp milled flax seed
• 6Tbsp water
• 1Tbsp dried orange zest
• 12oz bag ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1cup walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Using a form to stir, combine flax seed, water, orange zest, and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Set aside for 2 minutes
3. Stir together flour, baking soda, salt, and cardamom in a bowl and set aside.
4. Beat together sugar and butter substitute until light and creamy.
5. Add vanilla, flax, water, and zest mixture and beat until incorporated. 
6. In 2-3 small batches mix in the dry ingredients.
7. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts, then press plastic wrap down in the bowl so that it covers the dough, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
8. Drop rounded table spoons onto a parchment paper lined  cookie sheet, and bake for 12 minutes, makes 3 dozen cookies.

When they are all done, wrap them up, stick them in containers or bags, tie a little bow, and ship to hungry random people from the internet!

Thats a half dozen of the snickerdoodles on top, and 8
chocolate chip walnut in the container.

OmNomNamaste,
-Seth