Spelt Chocolate Chip Cookies

I’ve got hungry hands.

Hungry hands need fast sustenance.

With our pleasantly busying schedules, Ben and I are finding ourselves more and more hungry. In need of fuel. These cookies, made simply with spelt flour (a lovely alternative to regular wheat flour, and one that I can find readily as an organic variety) plus almond meal, olive oil and maple syrup, are my current cookie crush. They happen to be vegan and they happen to be delicious.

Batches have been made for morning tea on the farm, Ben’s work road trips or days at the office and family visitors. And because sometimes I just want a cookie, warm from the oven, all to myself. A chocolate chip cookie, at that.

Oh, yes, that’s the ingredient I left out above - chocolate. I favour rich blocks of quality dark chocolate in my baked goods, roughly chopping it with a knife and folding shards of various shapes and sizes into whatever batter I’m batching. It might be dark cooking chocolate, it might be regular, ‘sitting on the couch with a glass of red wine watching Mad Men whilst breaking off squares’ dark chocolate. Either way, splurge on the good stuff. You’re worth it. L’Oreal. Chocolate.

Spelt Chocolate Chip Cookies (recipe link).

Recipe notes: These cookies turn rather quickly from perfect to overcooked. If in doubt, take them out of the oven earlier, as they will certainly harden upon resting. Light olive oil is what you should use here, as the flavour is less pronounced than the regular stuff (and I favour cooking with olive oil over other plant oils) - edit: I've made these with light & extra virgin olive oil, and adored the extra virgin taste, so can only recommend you try it too. As with using quality dark chocolate (mentioned above), go for quality sea salt flakes here. These cookies should be stored in an airtight container and eaten within a few days – though they are absolutely best freshly baked. And lastly, if you’re thinking they would be outrageously good sandwiching a scoop of vanilla bean (or peanut butter – whaaaaaat?) ice-cream, then, Mr. President, you are correct.

Heidi xo