CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Makes 24 cookies These chocolate chip cookies are amazingly delicious. As a matter of fact, we think they’re even better than any chocolate chip cookie we had before we ate like dinosaurs. We like to dip ours in (unsweetened) chocolate almond milk, but they’re also great on their own. We’re always finding the boys with chocolate mustaches when we have a batch in the house. INGREDIENTS • ½ C palm shortening or butter • ½ C dates, chopped finely • ¼ C honey • 2 eggs • 2 Tbsp (30 ml) vanilla extract • 2 C (35°F) almond flour • 1 tsp (5 ml) baking soda • ½ tsp salt • ½ C chocolate chips INSTRUCTIONS AND HOW KIDS CAN HELP 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees 2. Cream together shortening, dates, and honey using electric or stand mixer. 3. Scrape the side of the mixing bowl, then add eggs and vanilla and beat to combine. 4. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. 5. Add dry mixture to wet and beat until just combined. 6. Fold in chocolate chips. 7. Spoon a heaping tablespoon for each cookie onto greased or lined baking sheet. 8. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees. 9. Store chilled for a week or more.

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Chocolate chip cookies with no grain and no refined sugar — almond flour, chopped dates and honey make them taste like the real thing. We honestly think they beat the conventional ones. Ours get dunked in chocolate almond milk, which always ends with chocolate mustaches.

Pro Tips

• Chop the dates very finely — they cream together with the shortening and honey here, and tiny pieces melt into caramel-like pockets instead of sticky lumps.
• Don't skip the creaming step: beating the shortening, dates and honey until fluffy is what gives these cookies their lift and tender crumb.
• Pull them at 8-10 minutes while they still look slightly soft in the middle; almond flour cookies firm up a lot as they cool on the sheet.
• A heaping tablespoon per cookie is the right size — these spread a little, and undersized scoops turn crisp instead of chewy.
• Store them chilled, where they keep for a week or more — and honestly they eat even better cold, straight from the fridge.

Frequently Asked Questions

How should I store these chocolate chip cookies?

In the fridge, in a sealed container, where they keep for a week or longer. Almond flour and dates make them softer than regular cookies, so the cold also keeps their shape.

Can I freeze the dough or the baked cookies?

Both work. Scoop and freeze the raw dough balls, then bake straight from frozen with a minute or two extra; baked cookies freeze well for about three months.

Why dates instead of regular sugar?

The finely chopped dates cream into the dough and give caramel notes you can't get from granulated sugar, while keeping the cookies paleo-friendly and refined-sugar-free.

Can I use butter instead of palm shortening?

Yes — the recipe allows either. Butter gives a richer, more conventional cookie flavor; palm shortening keeps them dairy-free and a touch lighter.

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