Maple Cashew Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hi guys! This is our first blog post on the Green Sheep Pantry. I hope you love this recipe as much as we do. It's our go-to breakfast when we're in a rush but want something yummy and decadent. These cookies have so much flavour and the combination of different ingredients creates really amazing cookies. The Maple Cashew Chocolate Chip Cookies are one of my first recipes I tried after I was first diagnosed as a coeliac. This is a really good recipe to start exploring the world of gluten-free treats and is a good way to show friends and family that your whole diet is not about gross tofu and bread that tastes like cat-food. Enjoy!

Prep time: 10min 

Cooking time: 12-15min

Makes: 12 cookies


What you'll need:

-a blender/ food processor

-a mixer

-a spatula

-a teaspoon

-a tablespoon

-a standard coffee cup or mug or standard U.S. cup measurements


Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup ground cashews

- 1 egg

- 2 tbsp coconut palm sugar

- 1 and 1/4 cup rice flour

- 1 tsp baking powder

-1 pinch salt

- 1/4 cup coconut oil

- 5 tbsp maple syrup

- 1 tbsp water/ plant milk

- choc chips

Step 1: Preheat oven to 180°C or 350°F

Step 2: Grind the cashews in a food processor, I use a blender because I have a Vitamix but if you don't have really powerful blades you're better off using a food processor. Blend or pulse for about 30-40 seconds to get a fine flour. Make sure to not blend for too long or you might end up with cashew butter which is not what you want. It's better to have a choppier flour than a sticky paste. 

Step 3: Beat an egg in your mixer with the coconut palm sugar. I find my coconut sugar in my local health shop but you can also buy it online. It's a bit more grainy than regular sugar which is why I beat it with the egg.

Step 4: Add the rice flour, the ground cashews, the baking powder and a pinch of salt and mix it all together. The amount of baking powder you use will determine whether your cookies are crumbly or chewy. The more baking powder you use the more chewy your cookies will become. However make sure to never exceed a teaspoon of baking powder.

Step 5: Melt the coconut oil. I usually scoop out the necessary amount into a bowl and pop it into the heating oven for a few minutes. 

Step 6: While the coconut oil is melting I chop up some dark, sugar-free, and dairy-free chocolate because I prefer it to chocolate chips but if you only have chocolate chips on hand you can use that.  I like having big chunks of chocolate in my cookies and they melt really nicely once they're cooked.

Step 7: Mix in the melted coconut oil and once the mixture is smooth, add the choc chips. It should look something like this. 

Step 8: Scoop out the mix onto a lined baking tray with a tablespoon or an ice-cream scoop.

Step 9: Pop the tray into the oven for 12-15min, the cooking time varies depending on your oven and on the crunchiness you want your cookies to have. 

Step 10: Wait for the cookies to cool for a bit and bite into them while they're still warm to taste the yummy melted chocolate bits. I pop mine in the toaster for my breakfast. 

Hope you love these cookies! Have fun cooking!