Healthy Double Chocolate Shortbread

I picked up the most horrendous stomach bug last week – you know the kind where you are literally crawling to the loo to chunder every few minutes, weak as kitten and quite a gross specimen of humanity. There really is nothing more disempowering than uncontrollable voms.

The worst part though, was my lack of appetite. It went on for 5 days straight. I could barely choke down marmite toast so cooking obviously wasn’t high on my agenda. The magical moment on Friday afternoon when I went from feeling nauseous to properly well again was epic. I absolutely hate not eating – I hate the weak feeling I get from lack of nutrition, I hate how my stomach physically recoils at the smell of food and right now I even hate marmite toast a little bit (pretty sure I’ll build a bridge and get over that soon).

To counter those dark days, this week has been an absolute foodie feast at my house, making up for lost time and lost nourishment.

Yesterday I made this yummy healthy chocolate shortbread. I feel I should insert my usual disclaimer here, ie healthy doesn’t automatically equal infinite portions. These are high in calories and fats, but all the ingredients are whole foods and more nutritious versions of their processed counterparts. What I’m saying is, make these – but do not get excited and eat them all in one sitting. I renounce all responsibility for what your scale says if you do that!

Healthy Double Chocolate Shortbread

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups buckwheat flour (you can also use brown rice flour)
• 1/4 cup cacao
• 3/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar 
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (can omit)
• 1/4 cup coffee (can be instant or filter)

Chocolate dipping sauce:

• 3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 1 heaped tbsp cacao
• 3 tbsp coconut sugar 

Instructions:

1. Whisk the solid coconut oil until it is smooth and fluffy (I used an electric whisk). If you’re making this in the middle of summer and your coconut oil is liquid, chill it in the fridge for a few mins before whisking. 
2. Add sugar, vanilla and coffee and whisk again til combined. 
3. Add dry ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon.
4. Chill mixture in the fridge for 10 mins – this will help it keep its shape when you roll it out. 
5. Spoon mixture onto a breadboard or flat surface and use your hands to roll it into a log shape. (*Note: the usual method of rolling this kind of dough is in a plastic wrap, but I don’t buy clingwrap because #plasticproblems, so I did this by hand). 
6. Refrigerate your log for 2 hours (yes it’s ok to have a giggle – my toddler pointed at the finished log and pronounced it to be a poo)
7. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
8. Cut the dough crosswise to make 10-12 cookies.
9. Bake on a baking tray for 20 mins until hard to the touch on top. 
10. Let cookies cool completely before coating in chocolate.
11. Make your chocolate dip by mixing all the ingredients together.
12. Place cookies on a wire rack and pour over the chocolate sauce.
13. Sprinkle coconut flakes and/or cacao nibs on wet chocolate. 
14. Enjoy warm and slightly squishy or hard and crunchy – your choice!