Raw Chocolate Fudge Cookies

Are you ever in the mood for something sweet - just a little bite - but there's nothing around to fit the bill? Here's a super-easy, gluten-free cookie recipe that whips up in minutes and really satisfies. Raw almond-based and maple sweetened with the richness of raw cacao, the nourishing green power of spirulina and a starry sky coating of creamy hemp seeds, Raw Chocolate Fudge Cookies are packed with flavor and nutrition: protein, essential fatty acids, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and all the multidimensional, heart-opening phytochemicals that make us love cacao.

The day I created (you might say channeled) this recipe, I made a tiny batch, using my handy dandy Cuisinart Spice & Nut Grinder to grind up a couple handfuls of raw almonds. I'm crazy about that little Mill but raw foodists take note: friction = heat, so be sure to use cold or frozen almonds and even chill the stainless cup before grinding. (Interesting science fact: when you grind flax or chia seeds in this convenient device, the warming effect is not noticeable. This is because the heat produced from grinding is relative to the size of the original object. Chia and flax seeds, being much smaller than almonds, require far less energy, i.e. heat, to break down.)

Anyway, the old Mill method yielded a small batch of cookies, which was fine for starters but now I was hooked. So the next day (ahem) I made a second batch, this time using more of everything and grinding the almonds in my juicer! Yes, my Omega 8005 juicer has a "blank" attachment that enables perfect (and heat-free) grinding. (The 8003 or 8006 models, as well as Champion juicers also have this attachment.) What I ended up with was almond meal or, what you could call, fresh almond flour. Cool!

The recipe below is given both in measurements and in parts, in case you just want to make a small batch using tablespoons (like I did the first time). The teeny batch approach also ensures that you don't eat too many cookies at once, for anyone out there who might have that problem (ahem again).

If for any reason you'd like to sub raw almond butter for the almond meal in this recipe (Lazy Raw Foodists take note) I'd suggest using only half the maple syrup for starters and adding more from there, to avoid the dough becoming too wet. Raw honey or agave could also be subbed for the maple syrup. If anyone tries these variations, please let me know if results are to your satisfaction. Happy nibbling! XO Diana


Raw Chocolate Fudge Cookies

1 cup (4 parts) freshly ground almond meal (from about 2/3 cups whole raw almonds)
1/2 cup (2 parts) raw cacao powder, sifted to remove lumps
1/4 cup (1 part) spirulina powder
1/2 cup (2 parts) maple syrup
1/4 cup (1 part) hemp seeds or more, as needed for coating

Combine freshly ground almond meal, sifted raw cacao and spirulina. Add maple syrup and stir till well combined. As you like, mix by hand or use the food processor or your Omega 8005 juicer, if you have one, fitted with the blank. (As long as it's already out, why not?)

Pour hemp seeds into a dish or plate. Working with a teaspoon of dough at a time, roll into small balls and press into hemp seeds on top, bottom and sides, to create a thoroughly hemp-encrusted flat cookie about one and a half inches in diameter. Chill to firm and store in the refrigerator, where cool temps along with antioxidants in cacao and spirulina will help keep the liberated almond oils fresh.