Makes about 32 cookies.
I really really think that it's important not to justify eating frequent desserts just because they're "gluten free" or "allowed on GAPS." And yet sometimes, I let myself have fun thinking about, making, and eating dessert.
Last night was one of those nights: a quiet, cozy house full of sleeping children, and me longing to make something for their holiday celebration that would rival all the "normal" Christmas cookies on the table. First try was like sawdust; the second try was like bricks. Third try was a little bit finicky, but a lot a bit delicious. And in addition to the sugar, they have Good Things in them. And they're gluten-free! And GAPS-legal!
These are like a chocolate-coated sugar cookie/shortbread - crispy/chewy in the middle, and firm and chocolatey on the outside. Please let me know if you come up with a chocolate coating that keeps the honey raw while allowing the coating to stay solid at room temperature...
Coating (there will be more than you need):
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, cut into squares
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup raw honey
1/2 cup unrefined coconut oil
Cookies:
1 cup soaked and dehydrated raw walnuts
3/4 cup soaked and dehydrated raw almonds
10 pitted dates
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda (optional; it helps the cookies brown more evenly)
1 tsp. vanilla
a few pinches of cinnamon
1/2 cup (4 oz.) butter, at room temperature (soft but not melted)
1 egg (plus one optional yolk, if you have one)
FOR THE COATING:
Melt the chocolate gently over a double boiler, or in a metal bowl set over a small saucepan of hot water.
Stir in vanilla and salt, and once the mixture has cooled to under 100f degrees, stir in the honey and coconut oil until everything is gorgeous and well-combined.
Set aside.
FOR THE COOKIES:
Preheat the oven to 350f. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a food processor fitted with an "S" blade, process the nuts until they resemble fine meal. With the motor running, drop in the dates one at a time and process until the mixture comes together and has no more large chunks of date.
Add the salt, baking soda, vanilla, and cinnamon, and pulse to combine. Add the butter and egg, and process until fully blended, scraping down the sides as needed. The batter will be thick, but won't totally hold its shape.
Place heaping tablespoons of batter on prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie (they will spread while baking).
Bake for 8-15 minutes (depending on your oven) - they are done when lightly browned. Let them cool thoroughly before dipping in the chocolate.
TO ASSEMBLE THE COOKIES:
Working gently so as not to break the cookies, dip them individually into the chocolate, rocking the cookie from side to side so that the coating covers much of the bottom and creates a crescent-shaped pattern on the top of the cookie. Place the finished cookies back on the parchment, and as soon as the pan is done, put the whole thing in the fridge to set the coating (1/2 hour or so). The extra coating can be dropped by spoonfuls onto the parchment.
Store the cookies in an airtight container in the fridge.