Cookies and hot chocolate, a dunkers delight, yes?

For me the dunk is carried out with some kind of guilty trepidation, being as it was a frowned upon activity in my childhood days. What a relief I'm now old enough do what I want..

These crunchy little delights are fresh from the pages of our friend Lola Berry's latest book 'Food to Make You Glow', a stunning book providing recipes specific for beauty, happiness, energy, immunity, calming and weight loss. This recipe is specifically from the 'Hero Foods for Happiness' section where Lola shares a few words on our beloved cacao:

"The main component of chocolate, cacao contains the amino acid called phenylalanine, which is needed to produce dopamine - a neurotransmitter that determines your alertness, learning, creativity, satisfaction , attention and concentration levels, as well as other brain processes that control movement and emotional responses."

All the more reason to bake these cookies, wouldn't you think? 

Serves: 4.

Cookies:

2 cups gluten free rolled oats
½ cup coconut oil
2 tablespoons cacao powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons coconut sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of salt flakes
½ cup good-quality chocolate chips (or raw chocolate, chopped into small pieces)

Hot Cocoa:

1 litre drinking coconut milk (or almond milk)
3 tablespoons coconut sugar (or honey), plus extra to taste
1½ tablespoons coconut oil
¹⁄³ cup cacao powder, plus extra to serve
½ teaspoon ground turmeric (optional)
pinch of chilli powder (optional), plus extra to serve

Place the oats in a blender and whizz up until they resemble flour.

Melt the coconut oil in a small saucepan over a medium heat, then stir in the cacao and mix well. Set aside to cool slightly.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the vanilla extract, coconut sugar and egg until well combined. Add the oat flour, oil mixture, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and salt and beat until everything just comes together. Stir in the chocolate chips and place in the fridge for 30–40 minutes until the mixture is firm.

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.

Once firm, roll tablespoonfuls of the mixture into balls, then place them on the prepared baking tray, flattening them slightly with your fingers. You should have enough mixture to make 12–14 cookies. Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until golden on the bottom. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly on the tray for 5 minutes.

While the cookies are cooling, make the cocoa. Place the coconut milk, coconut sugar and coconut oil in a small saucepan over a medium–low heat and warm, stirring regularly, until the mixture is hot, but not boiling. Stir in the cacao, turmeric (if using) and chilli (if using) and taste – if you like it a little bit sweeter, add an extra pinch or two of coconut sugar. Pour into mugs, dust over a little extra chilli and cacao powder and serve immediately with the still warm cookies. Delishimo!  

Now if one chocolate recipe isn't enough to make you happy, there's 16 others right here that might..

'Food to Make You Glow by Lola Berry is published by Plum, RRP $39.99'. Photo credit: Plum.