Cacao Cookies

These cookies are quickly becoming my go-to cookie while I'm at college. They are great because I always have the ingredients I need for them, so I can whip them up whenever and then enjoy! They are usually more of a cookie dough though, since they don't quite make it to the baking sheet. Partially because, as I've stated before, I don't want to make that trek to the kitchen. 

For those who do not know, cacao is the bean that chocolate and cocoa are made out of. It is more bitter than chocolate since it's just the bean and no sugar or milk. The cacao is really what makes the cookies. It gives them a nice crunch, and when baked, the cacao caramelizes slightly and adds a nutty flavor. These cookies would also be amazing with coconut in them, which makes it insanely similar to this recipe from last March. 

One thing I have learned at college is that I can replace almost anything in a recipe with something else. Sometimes this works, other times it doesn't. When you're on a limited budget in the middle of a cornfield though, you make do with what you have. In this case, I made the recipe with a chia "egg" because I didn't have a real egg. It ended up working and also makes eating the raw dough less dangerous*. Ideally, I would make this recipe with coconut sugar as well, but I didn't have that so regular sugar it was! This made them taste way too sweet for me, so I cut it down to a mere 2 tablespoons and added some honey to help the dough stick.

I currently do not have a picture of this cookie; I simple couldn't wait any longer to post this recipe. I will have a picture soon though.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp whole wheat flour
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp almond flour
1/3 cup cacao nibs
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar (preferably coconut)
2 Tbsp honey
3 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp chia seeds + 3 tbsp water (to make chia egg)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Make chia "egg" by adding 3 tbsp water to the chia seeds and letting sit for 10-15 minutes, until most water has been absorbed and the egg is a thick consistency. 
2. While egg is setting, stir flours, cacao, baking powder, salt, and sugar together in a medium-sized bowl using a spoon or fork. 
3. Once the "egg" is ready, add egg plus wet ingredients to the bowl and stir thoroughly.
4. Scoop dough, roll into 3/4-inch balls, and place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Press down cookies using a spoon, thumb, or cup to flatten slightly; these cookies will not expand at all during baking
5. Bake for 7-10 minutes or until golden brown then enjoy immediately (and next week, when you decide to make them again)



*The likelihood of a person being affected with salmonella from a raw egg is 1 in 20,000. That's equivalent to eating 1 raw egg every day for the next 54 years. This essentially means that you're safe either way.