Midnight Mocha Cookies

These delicious dark chocolate cookies  from Practically Raw Desserts by Amber Shea Crawley are so low-cal and low-fat, they actually would make a perfect midnight snack, but it is their deep cocoa color and flavor that gives them their name. They’re also perfect for dipping into a good cup o’ joe in the morning! The coffee extract is optional, but it works wonders at bringing the mocha flavor to the forefront.

 

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 1/2 cup coconut flour
  • 1/2 cup cacao powder
  • 1/4 cup coconut palm sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/3 cup very strong brewed coffee, plus more as needed
  • 1/4 cup coconut nectar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon coffee extract (optional)

Preparation:

In a food processor, combine the flours, cacao powder, sugar, and salt and pulse together. Add the coffee, coconut nectar, vanilla, and coffee extract and pulse until the dough forms a ball. Add additional coffee, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed to help the dough stick together. The mixture will be very thick. (Alternatively, you may mix the batter in a stand mixer.)

 

Make It Raw: Using a cookie scoop or a spoon, scoop the batter by rounded tablespoonfuls onto a Teflex-lined tray. Use a fork to gently flatten the cookies to 1/3 to 1/2 inch thick, leaving fork marks in the center. (They may crack a little at the edges; that’s okay.) Dehydrate at 110°F for 1 to 2 hours, flipping the cookies over halfway through, until they have firmed up slightly.

 

Make It Baked: Preheat the oven to 300°F. Using a cookie scoop or a spoon, scoop the batter by rounded tablespoonfuls onto a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. Use a fork to gently flatten the cookies to 1/3 to 1/2 inch thick, leaving fork marks in the center. (They may crack a little at the edges; that’s okay.) Bake for 8 to 9 minutes, until the bottoms of the cookies brown slightly. Use a spatula to move the cookies to a wire rack and let cool before handling.

 

Make It Easy: Using a cookie scoop or a spoon, scoop the batter by rounded tablespoonfuls onto a waxed-paper-lined plate or baking sheet. Use a fork to gently flatten the cookies to 1/3 to 1/2 inch thick, leaving fork marks in the center. (They may crack a little at the edges; that’s okay.) Enjoy immediately, or refrigerate or freeze until firm.

 

Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

 

Chef’s Tip: Don’t be shy about adding extra liquid (water, coffee, or nondairy milk) to the batter as needed to help the dough become moist and scoopable but still moldable.

 

Substitutions:

  • Almond flour: cashew flour or any other nut flour
  • Coconut palm sugar: Sucanat, date sugar, evaporated cane juice, or organic white or brown sugar
  • Coffee: water or nondairy milk plus an additional 1/2 teaspoon coffee extract or instant coffee granules
  • Coconut nectar: maple syrup, agave nectar, or any other liquid sweetener

 

Variations:

  • Nut-Free Mocha Cookies: Replace the almond flour with Sunflour
  • Double Chocolate Mocha Cookies: Pulse some nondairy chocolate chips or cacao nibs into the dough.
  • No Caffeine at Midnight! Cookies: Use water or non-dairy milk in place of coffee and omit the coffee extract.

 

 

Yield: about 14 cookies

 

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From Practically Raw Desserts by Amber Shea Crawley. ©2013 Amber Shea Crawley. Used by permission from Vegan Heritage Press.