Gluten and dairy free chocolate almond giant cookie or the accidental success

It almost looks like a brownie only crunchier

Does this look like a good and tasty cookie? and I can tell you it tastes good. This cookie however has a story, it was not born a cookie, its destiny was meant to be an almond and dark chocolate butter. Yes, you read correctly, it was meant to be a nut and chocolate butter.
So where did it go so wrong? (well actually once I tasted the finish product I was wondering where did it go so right?) The simple answer is a food processor that is not strong enough to process nuts into butter, pure and simple.
So if you want to make the delicious cookie here is how (if you want to make the almond and dark chocolate butter AND you have a strong food processor you can try this one: http://ohsheglows.com/2011/01/12/4-ingredient-dark-chocolate-almond-butter/).

- 2 cup of raw almonds
- 3 Tbsp of sweetened drinking chocolate (I use Fair Trade)
- 1/4 cup of flaxseed oil
- 2- 3 Tbsp of coconut oil
- 1/4 cup of milk or water (see instructions)
- 1 tsp of pure vanilla extract
- Agave nectar or honey if you want it a little sweeter

Preheat the oven to 150 C Degree. Prepare the almonds onto a baking sheet and roast for about 20 minutes. Note: you will still need the oven to bake the cookie so you might want to keep it on.

Once fragrant, take them out of the oven and leave them to cool a little.

Place them in your food processor and pulse until it looks like sand (or the dough for the base of a cheesecake). Add the drinking chocolate and pulse again until well combined. Add the oils and pulse to combine. Add the vanilla and agave or honey if it tastes too bitter. If the texture still looks too dry (ie it doesn't stick together when you pinch it in between your fingers), add some of the milk or water otherwise leave it out altogether.

Preheat your oven to 200 C Degree.

Press it into a round cake dish ( I used a 20 cm one) and put the cookie in. Bake for about 20 minutes. When you take it out, the cookie will still be soft. Leave it to cool and the outside will harden enough to become crunchy.

I have to say this is one of my kitchen "accidents" I am pretty happy with. The only other mistake I have made is that I have left the cookie on the benchtop and every time we walk past it we pinch a little (or a big) piece.

Happy baking everyone :)

After 5 minutes out of the oven

9pm tonight (looks like a good half still)

Update on the nut and dark chocolate butter: I have made another one which is much easier to spread although still not as smooth as in the original recipe... I guess I will need to look for a new food processor and leave those recipes to the side for now.

If you have any tips on making nut butter with a weak food processor please do share.