Chocolate Caramel Thumbprint Cookies

Before I share this Chocolate Caramel Thumbprint Cookie story let me just defend myself.

I don't have anything against Vegans. I actually quite admire them for their perseverance in a very challenging dietary world. I also don't subconsciously have anything against Vegans (well, not that I know of anyway). I love bacon and crackling; pigs are a wonderfully versatile snack food. I am notoriously bad at retelling stories and jokes. So much so that listening to myself makes the memory less funny.

One recent Friday I was so super excited! I had finally made a vegan cookie that tasted great, my new spiralizer had arrived and I had made every vegetable in the fridge into pasta and I had made some tasty pork balls. It was a great day and I wanted to share my new found delights with my friends.

I arrived at work and excitedly pulled out my new wares to show my work friends. As I gushed over my new spiralizer and fawned over Peter Evans new Cook Book, I gave my Vegan colleague a small container with what I thought were these Chocolate Caramel Thumbprint Cookies....but they were not. They were the pork balls instead. I had (accidentally) given my Vegan friend delicious pig snorting spicy pork balls!

Being the polite friend that she is she tasted it, just in case I had made pork flavoured chocolate cookies (there's an idea!), before spitting it out.

We were in hysterics. My mistake had turned out to be the funniest carnivore-vegan moment ever. We laughed so hard that I was crying, and continued to laugh at 5 minute intervals for the rest of the day as I remembered my stupidity. Funniest moment ever; unless of course you don't eat meat!

And if you don't eat meat then you'll love these cookies (which, once she got rid of the pork taste, my friend did enjoy). They are Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Refined Sugar Free, Paleo Friendly, Vegan, and free of any and all pork products.

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL THUMBPRINT COOKIES (VEGAN)
INGREDIENTS
1 cup Desiccated, unsweetened Coconut
1/2 cup Dates
1 1/2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
1 1/2 Tablespoons Cocoa
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1/2 recipe of Caramel (see recipe below)
30 grams Chocolate (see recipe below)

INSTRUCTIONS
Pre heat the oven to 175C/350F.
Line and grease a baking tray.
Place the coconut, dates, maple syrup, cocoa and vanilla in a Blender.
Mix until the dates are broken down and the mixture is smooth.
Measure 1 Tablespoon of mixture and roll into 9-10 balls.
Using your thumb or the back of a teaspoon, flatten the balls and make an indentation in the centre of the cookie.
Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
Allow the cookies to cool on the tray. They will firm up as they cool.

When the cookies are cool place a teaspoon of caramel in the indentation of each cookie.
Melt the Chocolate in a saucepan and then drizzle over each cookie.

CARAMEL
(You will only need1/2 for the cookies. Trust me; make the whole batch because you will be licking the saucepan clean it tastes that good!)
INGREDIENTS
1 can Coconut Cream (400ml can)
1/2 Cup Maple Syrup
Dash of salt
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

INSTRUCTIONS
Place coconut cream, maple syrup and salt in a saucepan over medium/high heat.
Bring mixture to boil, then reduce to medium heat.
Allow the mixture to boil until quite thick and dark golden in colour. Stir regularly to prevent burning.
This will take 15-25 minutes (the timing will vary depending on the quality of your cream. Judge its readiness by the colour and reduction in volume to approximately 1/2 its original size).
Add vanilla and stir
The caramel will be dark golden in colour and delicious.
Allow to cool completely before using (place it in the fridge for a quicker result).
Store in the fridge

CHOCOLATE
INGREDIENTS
1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil
1 Tablespoon Cocoa
1 teaspoon Maple Syrup

INSTRUCTIONS
Melt the coconut oil in a saucepan over a very low heat.
Add the maple syrup and cocoa and stir until combined and slightly thickened.
Allow to cool slightly before using.
If not using immediately, store in the freezer.

Chocolate Energy Balls

I have a new addiction. It involves covering my body in mud, getting zapped by electric fences, potentially digesting animal faeces and swimming through freezing, freezing water.

It's Obstacle Course Racing.  I love it!

The races involve jumping off tall towers, scaling walls, climbing mountains made from tyres, sliding down hills on your bottom and revisiting the playground monkey bars. It challenges your physical fitness, your mental stamina and how crazy stupid you are (I was going to say brave but in reality it takes a lack of mental stability to complete some of the challenges).

Standing on top of a very tall platform and jumping into a pool of mud, where you can't see the bottom, is not as scary as the 5 seconds (although it feels like an eternity) it takes to blindly find the surface of the water after you've jumped in. Running through electric wires seems like a breeze, until one drops you to the ground with an almighty zap and, whilst you are down for the count, another zaps your butt. Not a pleasant feeling. Jumping into a freezing cold ice bath shivers you to the core, but having to submerge yourself to get through to the other side literally takes your breath away. Breathing is not an option.

Whilst most people just look at my team mates and I like we've hit our head one too many times on an obstacle, those who have raced before know the adrenalin, the exhilaration and the achievement you get from finishing an Obstacle Course Race.

You also get damn hungry.

We have nicknamed these Chocolate Energy Balls 'Obstacle Course Balls' as they are devoured after a race. Dates have a high GI value so they release glucose quickly and are able to restore some of that much needed energy for your post race selfie (a must!). I also take these on long runs as a healthy alternative to sports gel. As the dates are broken down in the food processor they are no longer chewy and can be easily eaten whilst running. 

I keep a container of these Chocolate Energy Balls handy in the fridge. They are a quick pick me up when you feel like you need a sugar hit and the kids love them as a treat. The choice of nuts is up to you; mine differ depending on what I have left on the cupboard.

CHOCOLATE ENERGY BALLS (aka Obstacle Course Balls)

INGREDIENTS
1 1/3 cups Dates
1 cup Nuts (Walnuts, Pecans, Macadamias)
1/4 cup Cocoa
1/2 - 1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Optional; Chia Seeds, Sunflower seeds etc
Optional; Cocoa or Desiccated Coconut for dusting

INSTRUCTIONS
Place the dates, nuts, cocoa, maple syrup and vanilla extract (with seeds if using) into a food processed and blend until a smooth paste forms.
If your food processor is more Urkell than Schwarzenegger (or you have a hand held mixer) soak the dates in boiling water to soften them first, then discard the water before blending.
Once the mixture is well combined, roll into balls, approximately 1/2-1 Tablespoon per ball.
The mixture will make 20-24 balls.
If using, roll the balls in Cocoa or Desiccated Coconut (I only do this if I am making them for parties).
Store in the fridge.