Healthy Cashew Coconut Dipping Cookies

Tis the season to bake cookies! Truth be told, I am not much of a cookie person. My husband on the other hand is the cookie monster, able to eat 4-5 cookies a day and be happy as a clam. I do, however, have a soft spot for cookies that I can dip into a cup of afternoon tea or coffee. A sweet little pick me up to carry me through to dinner on a crisp and sunny winter day. A day just like today,where the sun warms my cheeks and the cool air energizes me with every deep breath. The kind of day where a long brisk walk should end with a cozy cup of tea and a homemade cookie. And because it is the season to bake holiday cookies, and because my husband would be oh so happy, I decided to create a vegan and gluten-free dipping cookie made with wholesome ingredients....they gotta be healthy, right? It took me two tries, but now they are perfect. A crunchy, nutty and delicious dipping cookie that can shine just like any ol’ traditional holiday treat! Maybe, I do like cookies after all J

So what sorts of goodness will you find in these cookies? A good amount of cashews, shredded unsweetened coconut, coconut sugar and coconut oil, a wee bit of sweet sorghum flour, a splash of vanilla, and a sprinkle of cardamom…all roasted and toasted and dipped into delicious Theo dark chocolate! Of course you can choose whatever chocolate you want, milk chocolate, flavored chocolate, or even go with no chocolate. It's up to you!

May this be my holiday gift to you, my dear friends! A gift that keeps on giving throughout the holiday season. Surprise your co-workers, your family members, or even your dearest friends with totally delicious sweet treats. With that I wish you a beautiful, sunny and crisp winter day, a long brisk walk, and a hot tea and cookie to come home to. 

Cashew Coconut Dippers

In this recipe I used Bob's Red Mill sorghum flour. It's a nice alternative to rice based GF flours. Usually, I can find this in the BULK section of my natural foods store. However, if you can't find it, you can also use Bob's GF 1:1 baking mix flour blend, or even use just plain rice flour. 

Makes about 2 dozen

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ cups whole raw cashews

1 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened

½ cup coconut sugar

¼ teaspoon sea salt

¾ teaspoon ground cardamom 

2 tablespoons psyllium husk powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ cup sweet sorghum flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)

2 tablespoons coconut milk

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

¼ cup coconut oil, packed

1 3oz dark chocolate bar, chopped (or use chocolate chips)

Optional: hemp seeds and extra shredded coconut for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Place the cashews and shredded coconut into a food processor and process until they resemble a fine mealy texture. Add the coconut sugar, sea salt, cardamom, psyllium husk, baking soda, and sorghum flour. Pulse to combine. Add the coconut milk, the vanilla extract, and coconut oil. Process until the mixture begins to clump together and form a type of “dough”. The mixture should stick together when pressed together with your fingers. You may need to scrape the mixture down the side of the processor to help blend the ingredients enough.  

Gather up the cookie "dough" and place onto a parchment sheet. Form the dough into the shape of a long rectangle to create dipper-like cookies. Here you can decide how long and wide you want your cookies to be. Keep in mind that they will expand a bit during baking. If you want circle cookies, just roll the dough into a log instead of a rectangle. However, I find it easiest to press it into a rectangular log. Wrap up the rectangle with the remaining parchment paper and refrigerate for an hour. This step is crucial as it allows the psyllium husk to bind together the dough and it makes it easier to cut later on.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator. With a knife cut slices off of the rectangle that are about a ¼ of an inch thick. Place each slice onto a parchment lined baking sheet. You will need two baking sheets, one per dozen. Bake the cookies for about 12 minutes or until golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet before moving them. I usually place the whole sheet outside to cool quickly. 

Meanwhile, create a double boiler by heating a little bit of water over medium heat in small saucepan. Place the chopped chocolate or chocolate chips in a small bowl or glass, and place the dish in the heated water. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted.

Remove the saucepan from the heat, leaving the bowl inside to keep the chocolate warm. Dunk the end of each cookie into the melted chocolate and place back onto a parchment lined sheet. Alternatively, you can brush the tops of the cookies with chocolate using a pastry brush. Decorate each cookie with a sprinkle of hemp seeds or shredded coconut, and allow to cool. Store in an airtight container. 

Serve with a cup of hot tea or coffee as an afternoon delight.