Kathy Hester's Creepy Bats and Cats Chocolate Graham Crackers

When I saw my friend (and vegan cookbook author) Kathy Hester previewing some photos from her upcoming Halloween e-book of vegan delights on Facebook, I could not resist. These bat and cat cookies in particular caught my eye right away. We're reprinting it here with her permission—it's from her new e-book of 25 recipes called The Ghoulish Gourmet: A Bewitching Collection of Vegan Halloween Recipes. I like the crunch and subtle sweetness in these cookies—plus, they come together pretty quickly. 

Creepy Bats and Cats Chocolate Graham Crackers. Photo by Kathy Hester. 

Halloween has become quite the holiday in recent years and one that is much beloved by Hester—she decorates the house and the yard and of course, food is part of the celebration. I asked her about the book's origins. "For me, it’s my one night out of the year to dress up and be spooky. I always wished there was a fancy Halloween dinner that I could go to, but I never found a good fit that had vegan food. Ten years ago, I started my own annual Gothic Dinner party. I aim for 13 guests around our creepy table, but fate sometimes gives us a few more or less. But each year I host a vegan multi-course sit-down Halloween dinner. Since I know Halloween is a popular holiday, I want to share some of my favorite creepy vegan recipes with the world this year."

Creepy Bats and Cats Chocolate Graham Crackers

These adorable chocolate cookies are just a touch sweet from maple syrup. The midnight black color comes from the special dark cocoa powder. These are crunchy and are dipped in the Spooky Sweet Potato Oatmeal Cookie Dip. (DK Note: You have to buy her e-book for $8.95 to receive that bit of deliciousness, too!)

Ingredients

Dry ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 T Dutch-processed cocoa powder (like Hershey's Special Dark)
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Wet ingredients

• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup mild oil (I used an avocado-coconut blend)
• 1/4 cup nondairy milk

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Prepare 2 large cookie sheets by oiling or covering with parchment paper. 

Mix all the dry ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl. 

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and cut in with a pastry cutter or 2 forks.

Use your hands to make a ball. If the dough is too crumbly, add another tablespoon of nondairy milk and try again.

Roll out 1/4 of the dough at a time on a floured work surface into a medium thickness.

Use bat and cat cookie cutters to cut out shapes and gently place them on the baking sheet. 

Repeat until all dough is used. If you medium-sized cookie cutters these will need to bake for about 10 minutes. The cookies will be crunchy. 

Slow Cooker Jackfruit Gumbo. Photo by Kathy Hester