Vegan Gingerbread Fudge Buttons

This recipe was the 2nd Place winner in the 2015 VegNews Holiday Cookie Contest!

When you think of gingerbread, I think most people envision the traditional gingerbread man/women cookie.  While they are cute, and certainly a holiday staple, they don't exactly class up a dessert table.

But, lay a tray full of these Gingerbread Fudge Buttons on your dessert table and watch your guests marvel in the delicious combination of gingerbread and fudge.

Ingredients for dough:

1/2 cup organic coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup organic pure cane sugar
1/4 cup organic dark molasses
1 T organic almond milk
1 1/3 cup organic unbleached all-purpose flour
1 T organic dry roasted flax seed
2 T organic pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 t non-almumnum non-gmo baking powder
1/2 t sea salt

Ingredients for fudge:

1/4 cup organic almond milk
1 T organic agave nectar
4 ounces 85% cacao chips

Method for dough:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 2 large baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper, set-aside.

Using the whisk attachment on your stand mixer, whisk together the oil, sugar, molasses, and almond milk.

Remove whisk and attach the flat beater.  Add to the wet mixture, the flour, flax seed, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and sea salt.  Continue beating on medium speed until a dough forms.

Scoop out approximately 1 tablespoon of dough, roll into a ball, place onto lined cookie sheet.  Continue until all dough is gone.  Using your thumb, carefully make a thumb print into each ball.

Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Remove cookies from the oven, and place on a cooling rack.  If the centers have puffed up, carefully press down the centers with your thumb.

While the cookies are cooling, in a small saucepan over low heat, add almond milk and agave nectar. Bring to a simmer, remove from heat and add the chocolate chips.  Stir until the chips are totally melted.  Let the chocolate cool completely.

Spoon cooled fudge into the centers of each cookie.

Store cookies in an air tight container.