Glimpse into choc nut cookies & choc nut smoothies

Cookies make me think of my little (well, not so little, but younger) brother, who lives in France, who has the nick name, among several others,  the Cookie Monster. He is the family's sweet tooth, but I am finding that I am also developing quite the sweet tooth these days, which is ironic now that I eat a low fructose diet!
I made up a batch of these cookies last week as a last minute, quick throw together for a treat for friends. This week, I have been in short supply of sweet treats, so this morning, my energy was dedicated to making another batch of these cookies.
I was not feeling fantastic this morning though, so to help me to power through while I made the cookies, I whipped up my latest favourite smoothie. I am absolutely a green smoothie convert, and love the additional serve of greens it gives you in the day. However, I have also discovered recently the wonder of adding nut butter to a smoothie! So my recent fav does not have greens, but is packed full of goodies; perfect for those moments when you want to trick your tastebuds into thinking you are having a decadent, naughty treat, but it is actually filled with great things to make your body happy!



Blend together:

250ml of rice milk (or a milk you prefer)
1/2 - 1 tablespoon of rice syrup
1 tablespoon of nut butter (I love using almond and chia butter)
1 tablespoon of raw organic cacao powder
1 large banana
2-3 ice cubes

Prepare for a delicious rush of energy and satisfaction!

You can add in 1 tablespoon of chia seeds too for extra nutrition and thickness!

Now that you are full of zing, let's get on to the cookies!!....

Chocolate nut cookies.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup hazelnut meal (if you don't have hazelnut, you can use 1 cup of almond meal)
1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 LSA (linseed, sunflower & almond meal)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup raw cacao powder
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
2 tablespoons rice syrup

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Combine all ingredients together in a bowl and mix well.
Make balls with a tablespoon of the mix, place on the tray and slightly flatten.
Bake for 12-14 minutes.

These cookies will be soft when you remove them from the oven. They will firm up when cool, but remain fudgey in the middle. If you prefer crunchy cookies, keep in the oven for an extra 2-5 minutes.  They will keep well in a container for 5 days.

Almonds are great to add to snacks as they have many health benefits. These include a huge reduction in heart attack risk, lowering bad cholesterol, protecting artery walls, building strong bones and teeth, providing healthy fats and aiding in weight loss, lowering the rise in blood sugar and insulin after meals, alkalising the body, nourishing the nervous system and providing good brain function and activity.
**Nuts do contain some FODMAPs, so be aware of your own tolerance levels if you have fructose malabsorption. You could substitute ground sunflower seeds, or other nuts if you have better tolerance to them**