I created these cookies a few years ago, quite therapeutically I guess. I almost needed to, after a day of nerves waiting to hear from my last unaccounted for family member in Paris and general sadness as the news unfolded of the multiple tragedies across the beautiful city that to me feels like a second home. I’m half French on mum’s side and while most of our French relatives live in Mauritius, my god mother, mum’s youngest sister and her family live in Paris, along with a few other cousins and friends.
It was an odd day. There I was nervously checking my phone every two minutes, while watching my gorgeous son and his music class mates rehearse for their end of year concert. It was such a happy scene. They were so gorgeous, yet what was on my little screen was so horrendous. And all happening at the same time. Statistically my cousin was of course going to be 99.999% for sure fine… but what if he wasn’t?
I cuddled my little man hard today. A lot today. All he knew was that I loved him. His little 6 year old mind didn’t need to know more than that. I know for sure that many of you had these slightly urgent feeling cuddles with your little loved ones too.
Once I’d heard from my cousin who thankfully woke early and let us all know, I was so relieved. I felt the kind of relief though laced with guilt for being so happy, when I knew and know so many are grieving in the aftermath of these incomprehensible events and their loved ones lost or injured.
So one of those dozy, dazy afternoons of trying to process weird, senseless things ended in great gratitude for my family’s health and safety. The champagne went in the fridge. The desire to create something delicious arose. Chocolate chip cookies. Gluten and grain free. Easy to make dairy free.
I hope you enjoy them. If you aren’t celebrating anything deemed particularly ‘special occasion’ this weekend, just darn well create a reason out of thin air. Celebrate life while we pay respects to those from who it was so shockingly torn away. Light a candle or three. Have a slow dance with the one you love in the middle of your living room. Get creative. Do your best to celebrate your blessings. We’d be stingy not to.
And bake. The joy of baking and sharing something delicious with the people you love. It’s a celebration right there out of your home kitchen. So accessible. So wonderful. I hope you enjoy these. We sure are!
Mandatory: Eat one warm as a cook’s treat
Next: Try and lay some filters over the batch to look like one of those arty photographers – one day!
Keep in a glass container for up to a week – They’re great for a school lunch box treat or a weekend afternoon delight!
Where to from this cookie? Probably to my Vanilla Bean shortbreads or Gluten free Apple Cinnamon Hotcakes, or of course it would be wrong not to try my famous banana bread recipe – and if you make anything and love it, I’d so appreciate a pin or FB like. I recently swapped from being alexxstuart.com to lowtoxlife.com and lost all my pins and likes and it says to future visitors “hey, this was yum!”. Thank you so, so much!
Real Treats. It’s all about the quality and mindfully enjoying every bite.
Enjoy
Therapeutic Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 tsp vanilla bean powder / extract
- 125 g salted butter (or add 2 pinches of salt if unsalted) – use coconut oil or ghee for dairy free.
- 110 g rapadura or coconut granulated sugar 2/3 cup
- 25 g 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 25 g 1/4 cup desiccated or shredded coconut
- 40 g 1/3 cup coconut flour
- 100 g 2/3 cup tapioca flour
- 1 tsp baking soda / powder
- 1 egg (or flax / chia gel equivalent for egg free)
- 130 g dark chopped chocolate / 1 cup NOTE: If you use Enjoy Life choc chips, those are over 40% sugar, so you can drop back the rapadura / panela to 70-80g / 1/3 -1/2 cup so that they’re not too sweet. I used a mix of Cocolo 70% and Black Out 85% Alter Eco which are 24% and 15% respectively, so the sweetness was perfect as is in the recipe.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C / 350F fan forced (optional)
- Prepare a tray with baking paper, greased lightly with olive oil or butter
- Use either a KitchenAid, Thermomix / MyCook or simple hand held egg beaters with a high edged bowl for this recipe.
- Cream sugar, butter and vanilla together until lightened brown
- Add egg and whip through until well combined
- Add flours, baking soda, cocoa and coconut and mix on low for 15 seconds just to combine
- Stir in dark chocolate chunks by hand
- Put heaped tablespoon blobs onto baking tray in 4 rows of 3-4.
- Form them into circle shapes as best you can (oil your fingers so they don’t stick and it will make it easier to do that bit)
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until cooked but choc chips still molten and remove. Slide cookies onto wire rack to cool.