Choco-Chai Christmas Cookies....

Here's another sweet and delicious recipe for all my fellow Chocoholics Anonymous friends. I hope you're ready because I'm about to blow your minds.............these cookies are gooey, choclatey, totally scrummy and.....MADE FROM BLACK BEANS!!!!! KAPOW!

Yes, black beans my friends. High in fiber, iron, folate, protein and antioxidants, great for your digestive tract, blood sugar regulation, cardiovascular health, health of your nervous system and (here comes a biggy.....) cancer prevention thanks to their 8 different flavonoids and enormous antioxidant potential. Beats the average lump of fat and sugar we usually call a cookie by a million miles!

Here's the how to.....

1 1/2 cups black beans, very soft (or 1 x 15oz can)

2 Tbsp coconut oil (or ghee)

1/3 cup organic cocoa powder

1/4 tsp coarse sea salt, plus some for sprinkles

contents of one chai teabag

1/3 cup maple syrup or honey or agave.

2 Tbsp ground flax seeds (or two eggs)

1tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup chopped dark chocolate (80% cocoa or higher)

1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts

- Preheat oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

- Mix ground flax, maple syrup and vanilla in a bowl and set aside.

- Place well drained and well-rinsed beans, coconut oil, cocoa, salt and contents of chai teabag in a food processor and blend until well combined. Add maple syrup and flax mix and pulse to incorporate. Remove the blade from the food processor and add chopped chocolate and nuts. Fold to incorporate.

- Spoon cookie dough onto lined baking sheet. Use the back of the spoon to flatten the top of the cookies slightly as they will not spread when baking. Tip - make the cookies no larger than 2 1/2 to 3 inches across. Once cooked they'll be quite soft and larger cookies might break easily. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and bake for 15-20 minutes or until edges are browning. Cool. EAT!!

This recipe was adapted form Sarah's stunning recipe for Chilli Chocolate cookie on My New Roots. I tried and loved the chilli cookies but Neil and the kids were not too keen on the funky chilli chocolate combo so my version is aimed at all those who prefer their cookies without a kick.