Rum Walnut Cookies

Finding more uses for rum... These cookies were ridiculously good.  The taste, the texture, everything.

I worked from a recipe in Veganomicon, with a few changes: I substituted 1/2 c whole wheat in to improve texture and "healthiness," and I used more rum and more vanilla to ensure intense flavor.  The only problem then was that the dough got too wet.  I just dealt with it, but you could also add a bit more flour to compensate, I think.  Then, as usual, I used walnuts instead of pecans (and, I didn't need as many as were called for).  Finally, these cookies seemed so great as they then were that the frosting from the original recipe seemed like overkill--though, a rum frosting would definitely have accentuated the booziness of the cookie.

No matter.  These cookies were tender, just chewy enough, with a flavor somewhat like oatmeal cookies but headier.  They are seriously one of my new favorite cookies of all time.

Rum Walnut Cookies

(adapted from "Rumnog Pecan Cookies" in Veganomicon)

Ingredients

1/3 c canola oil

1/4 c nondairy milk

generous 1 c sugar

1 TB molasses

2-3 TB rum

2 tsp vanilla

1 c all purpose flour

generous 1/2 c whole wheat flour

1/4 c cornstarch

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1 c coarsely chopped walnuts

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350* and line baking sheets with parchment paper.  Combine wet ingredients (through vanilla).  Sift in dry ingredients, excepting walnuts.  Mix.
2. Form dough into balls, then roll in walnuts.  Place on baking sheet and slightly flatten.  Keep in mind that these cookies will expand and flatten quite a bit; plan accordingly.  Bake for about 10 minutes.  Makes about 2 dozen cookies.