Is it just me, or is our twenty-something-year-old generation getting more and more into food? And I'm talking the good stuff. 

Food isn't just what gets you through your day - holding you over until your next meal. Food is so much more. Food is culture. Food is memories. Food is conversation. Your story. Your routine. A peak inside what flavors tempt you. What flavors turn you off. What flavors make you smile.

When you gather people around a table - that's when the magic happens.  Not everyone likes sports. Not everyone paints or sings. Not everyone grew up in the same city or country... But, we all eat. Eating is what holds us all together.

If my generation is doing one thing right- as we are constantly on social media - and are inpatient in our careers - and tend to do three things at once - it's that we are appreciating food. Instead of boozy happy hours in crowded loud bars, supper clubs are what are happening. My fellow IU girl, Jess, recently mentioned one in Chicago on her blog, The Golden Girl.  And right in my own neighborhood in St. Louis, my friend & blogger, Kayli, is hosting them. 

Kayli shared a plant-based, vegan dinner at the supper club this past week, and I made these vegan chocolate chunk cookies for it. I adapted my recipe from one in Vogue Magazine last year, rating them "the absolute perfect chocolate chip cookie - that just happens to be vegan." 

Make these because they are vegan... Or just because they are amazing.  

These are sure to please any cookie lover! 

Whole-Wheat Chocolate Chunk Cookies {Vegan}

• 1 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt.
• 1 1/2 cups dark chocolate, chopped (use 60% cocoa or higher)
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
• 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon water
• Coarse sea salt for garnish

Directions: 

1. In a medium bowl, whisk the flours with the baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Toss in the chopped chocolate and toss until it is coated.  Set aside. 
2. In a separate large bowl, whisk the sugars with the canola oil, coconut oil and water until very smooth and incorporated.  About a minute. (Tip:  make sure you get the brown sugar clumps out by pressing down with a spoon to break them up!)
3. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture, and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined and no flour is visible. Do not overmix the dough. (The dough will seem too wet, that's okay, it will harden as it chills)
4. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let set in the refrigerator for 24 hours. (12 hours is okay, if you must). This set is crucial so do not skip it!!
5. When you are ready to bake - preheat the oven to 350°. Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper.
6. Remove dough from the refrigerator and using a cookie scoop, portion out dough on the cookie sheet.  Sprinkle the balls of dough with coarse-grained sea salt and bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are just golden and not overbaked. (Tip: Rotate cookies halfway through the baking time for even browning)
7. Let cool completely on the cookie sheet and then remove to a wire rack.

Share these at your next dinner with good company.

Start gathering around the table instead of the bar and you will quickly see the power of food and how it connects us all in this huge, crazy world.