| 1 cup plus 1⁄4 cup, firmly packed dates* (the SOFTER the dates, the better) | |
| 2 tsp. vanilla extract | |
| 1⁄4 tsp. sea salt | |
| 1 Tbsp. olive oil | |
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1⁄4 Cup packed Navitas Naturals Cacao Powder |
| 1 cup almond butter (crunchy or creamy, drained of excess oil) |
Blend: In a food processor, blend dates, vanilla, salt, and oil until paste-like. Add last: cacao powder and almond butter. Blend until well combined. Mixture should resemble the texture of smooth cookie dough.
Shape: Using a tablespoon-sized mini scooper, form rounds by scooping the dough onto a cookie sheet. Slightly flatten the rounds with a fork to form crisscross hash marks. This technique adds texture and crispiness as the cookies bake. Cookies should not be thin; they should be slightly thick, about 1/2 inch high.
Bake: Bake cookies at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes (or sooner - until the edges and bottom start to brown). Don't over-cook or they will burn! Promptly remove cookies from the oven. Cookies will be very delicate upon removal; use a fork or stainless steel spatula to carefully place them on a plate. Cool cookies for about 20-30 minutes. Edges will be crisp and the insides will be a tender cake-like "crumbly" texture.
-If the almond butter has an excessive amount of oil visible when you open the jar, drain out the oil or the cookie mixture may end up being too wet. If this happens, just increase the amount of cacao powder and dates until you reach the desired sweetness and cookie dough texture.
-Freeze the rounded cookies like cookie dough. Bake a few cookies at a time for a quick snack instead of making the entire batch.
*If dates are not soft, cookies tend to be a little dry; add more oil (about 1/2 T - 1T more), or add about 2T of agave nectar.
-Make chocolate thumbprint cookies and fill the center with a fresh fruit compote (i.e. chopped raspberry, agave, dash of lemon juice and salt).
-Add chopped nuts stirred in by hand before scooping the dough into rounds.
-For a less 'spicy' flavor, use cashew butter instead of almond butter.
-Use a cookie cutter to create unique shapes.
Submitted by: Dana Cowans – Diva Chocolate Factory
