I used to be a serious baker a long time ago. In fact, I had a notion that I’d be a pastry chef at one stage and even did a brief apprenticeship in a Chocolatiere Cafe in New Zealand! But, that was then, and now, its more about healthy baking! So I’ll admit, these are not the most amazing cookies. They’re less crunchy than I’d like, but hey, the trade off is that you won’t feel crap after eating them! Ideally, the walnuts would be “raw”, the dates would be “medjool”, the chocolate would be Green and Blacks, and everything would be organic, but to be honest, most of the ingredients I got in Aldi!
Here’s the recipe
INGREDIENTS
3 cups of walnuts
2 cup of dates
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda or bicarbonate of soda
2 tbsp honey (or a big blob – optional)
2 tsp vanilla essence (NOT vanilla extract)
2 “flax” eggs (ie. 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed, or chia seeds mixed with 6 tablespoons of water)
1 cup dark chocolate chips (optional – I used 70% Masor Roth from Aldi)
HERES WHAT YOU DO:
1. Preheat the oven to 180 celcius and line 2 baking trays with greaseproof paper.
2. In a food processor, process the dates and walnuts until they become like a crumb consistency.
3. Add the salt, bicarbonate of soda, honey (if using), vanilla, and flax then blend until everything is combined.
4. Spoon the batter out and with wet hands (the mixture is quite sticky!), shape into balls, then flatten to about 1/2 an inch thick.
5. Bake for about 12 minutes or until they are browned around the edges. Leave on the tray for 5 mins before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freeze.
Makes 12 to 15 depending on how big you want them!