Choc-Cinna Bombs
It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas. And what better way to celebrate than by baking some delicious Christmas cookies?
These aren’t your average Christmas cookies. A surprise awaits you when you bite into these mounds of chocolatey-cinnamony goodness. A surprise in the form of ooey-gooey cinnamon spiced chocolate cream. YUM.
Let’s set things straight. Christmas is a special time of the year and there is nothing wrong with eating ‘regular’ Christmas cookies, containing regular sugar and flours and oils. It’s nothing that needs to be justified or feel guilty about. There’s a lot of diet culture misinformation out there, especially around this time of the year, that these foods are ‘bad’ and should be avoided at all costs. Not true. It’s called balance. It’s good for the soul, it brings back special memories with friends and family, and it’s a small part of your diet that won’t affect your body in any way. Remember that health is about what you do the majority of the time, and eating a few less-nutritious cookies here and there can be a perfectly healthy part of a wholesome and healthy diet. And stressing about eating a cookie is SO MUCH unhealthier than any cookie is in the first place.
Back to THESE cookies. I love challenging myself, and creating recipes that can be enjoyed by all, especially those with specific dietary requirements, or that are looking for wholesome recipes that taste just as good as the ‘real deal’.
They’re packed with fibre, healthy fats and plant protein, making them incredibly satisfying and satiating. As well as being gluten, oil and refined sugar free, with zero compromise on flavour, promise. And my family happily agrees!
Enough rambling from me, let’s get to the recipe. Be sure to tag me on Instagram if you try these out, I can’t wait to see your re-creations! xx
Ingredients:
For the cookies:
1 can (240g) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2/3 cup (100g) pitted dates
60g almond or cashew butter
1 tbsp (15g) Blackstrap molasses
2 tbsp (15g) flaxseed meal
2 tbsp (15g) cacao powder
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup (40g) almond flour
For the filling:
60g almond or cashew butter
1 tbsp (15g) Blackstrap molasses
2 tbsp (15g) cacao powder
1 tsp cinnamon
Splash of almond milk
Method:
Soak dates in boiling water for 10 minutes to soften. Line a tray with baking paper and preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Blend chickpeas with nut butter and soaked dates until smooth.
Stir in the rest of the cookie ingredients and mix well to form a dough.
In a separate bowl, combine filling ingredients with as much almond milk as needed to get it to a thick-runny ‘cream’.
Using your hands, form roughly 12 golf ball sized cookies out of the dough, then shape into ‘nests’ (making the edges as high as possible) into which you spoon 1 tsp of filling each. Gently close the edges of the nests together to close the cookies and turn them upside down so the sealed edges are at the bottom. Repeat for all the cookies!
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until golden, then allow to cool on a rack and enjoy!
Notes:
I made 12 cookies from this mix.
Store in an airtight container for up to a week. I’d recommend keeping them in the fridge!
