Salted Date Chocolate Chip Cookies with Jasmine Hemsley

The deepest joy of {hemanta} season is drawn from the act of sharing. Sharing time with loved ones, and sharing treats to inspire feelings of cosiness and indulgence. At the heart of every celebration in India are sweet treats laden with dates, not least as a nutritious alternative to sugar, but because, according to Ayurveda, dates have powerful energy cooling properties, soothing and strengthening the spirit with their revitalising and detoxifying benefits.

Dates, the star of Jasmine Hemsley’s cookie recipe, are blended with ground almonds, rice flour, cinnamon and olive oil to make a delicious cookie dough, the sweetness balanced with a pinch of salt. Enjoy the mindful process of mixing, creating and baking these cookies, and delight in serving them to your friends and family as a little seasonal upift.

INGREDIENTS 

Makes 25 small cookies 

200g ground almonds 

100g rice flour

2 tsp ground cinnamon 

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp sea salt

150g dates, rough chopped

80ml extra virgin olive oil

4 tbs maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

To finish: Flakey sea salt and chocolate chips (we used Menier Dark Chocolate drops which are UTZ certified cocoa- part of the rainforest alliance). 

METHOD 

1. Add the dried ingredients; ground almonds, rice flour, cinnamon, salt and baking powder, to the food processor and blend to combine.
2. Add the rough chopped dates, maple syrup, vanilla and olive oil and process until the dough comes together and the dates are more finely chopped (big bits of dates will make the cookies harder to form).
3. Using a tablespoon measurer, scoop out some of the dough and roll between the palms of your hands to make a ball. Place the dough ball on a tray lined with baking parchment, and continue to roll until you’ve used up all the dough.
4. Using the bottom of a clean, flat glass or mug press down on each dough ball to flatten into a cookie around 5.5cm wide. If the cookie sticks, try using a square of baking paper between the cookie and glass. 
5. Use a palette knife to shift the cookie into position on the tray. The cookie dough doesn’t spread while baking so you can pack them in quite tightly but you may still need a second tray.
6. Lightly press a few choc chips onto each cookie, gently moulding the sides with your hands if the edges look too cracked or crumbly, and sprinkle on a little flakey sea salt.
7. Preheat the oven to 170°C (fan) and bake for 9-10 minutes until just golden brown on the edges. Keep an eye on that last minute as they can easily burn.
8. Remove the cookies from the oven and set aside to cool, they will crisp up as they cool down. Serve warm or cold. Once completely cooled, store cookies in an airtight container. 

East by West tip:

You can refrigerate or even freeze the cookie dough or cookies before baking. Freeze for up to three months and thaw before baking.