Craisy Cho-conut Bliss Cookies

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups water, divided
• 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds (purchase flax seed meal or use a coffee grinder) or 1 tablespoon psyllium (i use the konsyl brand psyllium fiber powder, found with the laxatives near the pharmacy)
• 8 ounces pitted dates (not chopped dates, they have added sugar and are much harder, broke my food processor!)
• 28 g coconut flour or 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 250 g shredded coconut
• 6 fluid ounces orange juice or 6 fluid ounces water
• 170 g honey or 1/2 cup honey
• 108 g coconut oil or 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 10 ounces craisins (craisins do have added sugar) or 10 ounces raisins
• 10 ounces chocolate chips (i use enjoy life foods brand)

Recipe

• 1 make the date paste ahead of time, as listed in steps 2-6.
• 2 pour 1 cup water into a 2-qt. saucepan and bring to a boil.
• 3 pour pitted dates into boiling water and let boil for 5 minutes, to soften dates.
• 4 remove dates from heat, add orange juice, honey, and coconut oil, and let cool until comfortably warm to the touch.
• 5 pour dates and liquid into a blender or food processor, and process until smooth.
• 6 let the mixture cool. if it is still warm, you can refrigerate it. (if it is still warm when you mix it, the chocolate chips will melt!).
• 7 preheat oven to 350°f.
• 8 prepare cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpat.
• 9 pour ½ cup water into a cup, and stir in flax meal (or psyllium fiber powder). allow to sit for 5 minutes or so, to thicken.
• 10 put coconut flour and shredded coconut into a large mixing bowl. (i use a kitchenaid stand mixer.) whisk or mix these together.
• 11 add flax gel and date paste to the mixing bowl with the coconut and blend well.
• 12 add in the craisins and chocolate chips (or whatever mixins you prefer), and mix well. (these amounts were used because they were entire packages, but you can increase or reduce these, as well as add nuts or other fun things.).
• 13 drop by teaspoonful or melon baller/cookie scoop, or roll into a log and slice. flatten if desired. put cookies on prepared pans. (these do not spread, so you can put them close together.).
• 14 bake at 350°f for about 20 minutes, or until cookies are nicely browned.
• 15 allow to cool for 10 minutes or so before removing from cookie sheet. (this is difficult -- these are so good warm -- ).