Snappy Turtle Cookies (or, Saying "I Love You" with Vegan Cookies Means Never Having to Say You're Sorry for Salmonella Poisoning)

These are my favorite cookies . . . one of Grandma's recipes. I'm not sure what's "snappy" or "turtle-y" about these babies, but they've been called that for over 70 years, so who am I to buck family tradition? I love that these are simple and sweet (but not too sweet). These are more a tea-cake cookie, and are just perfect with a warm cup and good gossip from the gal next door.

The original recipe, from the 1940's, was probably pretty expensive to make during wartime; it called for 3 eggs and butter. As I look through family recipes like this to veganize, I'm always amazed that war brides didn't go ahead and veganize recipes themselves. Grandma had all sorts of ways to replace the dairy during rationing, but usually exchanged eggs with mayonnaise or butter with Oleo (which, by all accounts, sounds disgusting even if it was dairy-free). Too bad most people hadn't thought of flax meal. There were probably some pretty disgusting cookies shipped overseas during WWII!



½ cup Earth Balance
½ cup Florida Crystals brown sugar, packed
2 eggs' worth prepared flax meal (2 tablespoons of flax meal mixed with 6 tablespoons of water. Allow to sit for a few minutes so the mixture thickens)
1½ cups unbleached white flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 heaping tablespoon flax seeds (optional)
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon maple extract
2 cups chopped pecans (more or less as needed)
½ cup maple syrup (more or less as needed)
3½ ounces dark chocolate (72% cacao), melted



1. Preheat oven to 350º. Cream together Earth Balance and brown sugar. Add prepared flax meal, vanilla and maple flavoring, mixing well.
2. In another bowl, mix flour, soda, salt and flax seeds (if using), then slowly add to Earth Balance mixture until well blended.
3. Portion dough out with a tablespoon and roll into balls. Dip each ball into the maple syrup, then coat ball with pecans. Flatten each ball gently as pictured. Bake for 12 minutes, or until they start to firm up a little and begin to get darker (I bake mine exactly 12 minutes and they are heavenly). After they are cooled completely, drizzle with melted chocolate if desired. Makes about 1½ dozen cookies (or 1 serving for me!).