A Giant Cookie Cake of Stress

I wish that I forgot to eat when I get stressed...instead, I end up eating anything in sight. Unconsciously and impulsively. For example, I ate a leftover biscuit from Cracker Barrel when talking on the phone with my mom last night. I was standing in my kitchen, just having gotten home from work, and I inhaled that biscuit...and two mini Reese's eggs...and a handful of honey wheat pretzels. For a snack.

Oh my lawd. WORK IS KILLING ME.

So I made my work a cookie cake. 

It had ground flaxseed instead of the usual two eggs because I was, sadly, eggless.

Also, Monday was Purple Day (International Epilepsy Awareness Day), so the M&Ms were supposed to be purple...but they are definitely baby blue.

Whatever.

It was yummy. And I had two pieces.

Now I wish I had kept it all for myself.

Almost-Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

Slightly Adapted from Cookie Madness

Servings: 8-12 

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup butter (substitute vegan butter, e.g. Earth Balance)

1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed

1/4 cup granulated sugar

4 tablespoons ground flaxseed, plus 1/2 cup warm water (or use 2 eggs and no water)

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 to 1 cup M&Ms (optional)

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees, and prepare a pizza pan or regular baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat. In a cup, combine ground flaxseed and water; let sit for about 3 minutes. Cream together butter and sugars in the bowl of a standing mixer (or by hand in a large bowl), then beat in flaxseed mixture and vanilla.
• Add in flour, baking soda and salt, stirring until just combined. Lastly, fold in chocolate chips and M&Ms until evenly distributed. Pour out dough onto the prepared baking sheet and form it into your desired shape (circle, rectangle, etc.). It should be about 1/2 to 3/4 inch in thickness.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes, until edges are golden brown and center looks set.