Cookies to Welcome Spring

Healthy Chocolate Coconut Almond Cookies

Delicious cookies on a Jane Herold Plate

To sweeten things up, in case the afternoon stretches dully and pelts the windows with sleet, I’ve just made a batch of super-healthy, incredibly delicious cookies that take just 15 minutes from start to finish. These are for spring–they have no gluten, no dairy, no processed sugar, and are endlessly malleable–change the nuts and the milk flavors, add grated carrots, hemp or chia seeds, use a bit more milk for a softer cookie, replace the chocolate with carob or don’t use at all.  I vary these cookies as my mood and larder dictate.  Have fun and eat them often (daily). They are GOOD FOR YOU!

Ingredients

• 1 cup nuts–I use whatever I have: walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, almonds, cashews, Brazil nuts–today I used 1/2 cup blanched almonds and 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (you could use sunflower seeds, or replace with more nuts)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded organic coconut
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 4 tsp cashew butter (or almond butter)
• 1 TB raw agave (or  raw honey, or  maple syrup–a tip from Kate)
• 1/2 cup nut or coconut milk–coconut milk will give a fluffier consistency. I love to hazelnut milk.
• 2 TB raw cacao
• (If you’re not on a sugar-restricted regime, add 1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips)
• Parchment paper

Directions
1.  Preheat oven to 325º
2.  In a food processor, grind up the nuts, coconut and seeds until you have a fine-slightly coarse meal (like polenta or slightly finer).
3.  Add the rest of the ingredients except for the chips, and process until mixed thoroughly.
4.  Stir in chips if you like.
5.  Drop by large spoonfuls onto a parchment-paper lined cookie sheet.  You should get 12 good-sized cookies.
6.  Place in the oven and cook for 10 minutes–check the bottoms after 8 to make sure they aren’t burning.

I store them in the fridge because they are amazing cold and they will keep much longer that way.

Take that, Winter!