For the chai cookies

• 140g spelt flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon (or 1 drop Cinammon Spice Drops)
• ½ tsp ground ginger (or one drop Ginger Spice Drops)
• 40g dark brown sugar
• 40g light brown soft sugar
• 100g vegan butter, softened
• 1 tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 11/2 tbsp water (this is known as a flax ‘egg’)
• 6 drops Cardamom Spice Drops
• 2 tbsp plant milk

For the choc orange buttercream filling 

• 150g aqua faba
• pinch of citric acid
• 4 tbsp white sugar
• 150g vegan butter, softened
• 60g cocoa powder
• 8 drops Orange Zest Spice Drops

To decorate

• 100g chocolate
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• Zest of 1 orange

1. Begin by preheating your oven to 160C/325F/Gas 3 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
2. In a bowl, whisk together the spelt flour, bicarb, cinnamon and ground ginger, then set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, cream/beat together the softened butter and both dark and light brown sugars
4. Mix in the flaxseed mix and the Holy Moly cardamom flavouring.
5. Add the dry flour mix to the creamed butter and sugar mix and stir together until a dough has formed, gradually adding the Rebel Kitchen Mylk to bring together.
6. With a little scoop, scoop out small balls of the mix and place them spaced apart on your baking tray, ensuring the dough balls have room to expand when cooking. You may need to cook them in several batches – I placed about 4 on the tray at a time
7. Cook for 12-15 minutes and leave to cool before you make your buttercream filling*
8. To make your buttercream, start by adding the citric acid and OGGS to a large mixing bowl and start whisking (with an electric hand whisk), your OGGS aqua faba. Gradually add the white sugar, a tablespoon at a time to the OGGS, as you are whisking. Your mix is ready when soft, glossy white peaks have formed. Now set aside.
9. In a separate bowl, cream together your softened butter and cocoa powder. Add in your Holy Lama orange drops.
10. Start adding your aqua faba mix, about a ¼ cup at a time, to the creamed cocoa/butter mix whilst whisking, until each batch of aqua faba is fully incorporated. Set aside l at room temperature.
11. To assemble your cookie sandwiches, on one underside of your cookie, spread a generous helping of your buttercream, then sandwich another cookie on top. Do this with all the cookies and leave to firm up in the fridge.
12. Melt your Moo Free chocolate with the coconut oil, then drizzle over the chilled cookies, finishing each biscuit off with a sprinkling of orange zest.

*it is important to make your buttercream filling after the cookies have cooled, as the buttercream needs to be spread over the cooled cookies so it won’t melt. Equally, if the buttercream is too cold, it won’t spread as easily over the cookies, so the buttercream needs to be spread over cookies as soon as it is made, then the cookies (along with filling) left to chill in the fridge.

This recipe was created by Chantelle Leach from @i_lost_my_tempeh for the Bake Me Vegan™ Contest