Sweet and spicy is an unbeatable combo, especially when you’re talking chocolate. These adult cookies can be made to taste. The cayenne can be omitted for kid-friendly cookies, while the 1⁄2 teaspoon is just right for those who can’t get enough heat. The ganache and cacao nibs add elegance to these otherwise humble cookies.
Ingredients
- 3⁄4 cup (68 g) oat flour
- 1⁄2 cup plus 1 tablespoon (79 g) whole spelt flour
- 2 tablespoons (15 g) barley flour
- 3 tablespoons (15 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1⁄4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste
- 1⁄3 cup (80 ml) vegan milk, more if needed
- 24 g (2 tablespoons) Sucanat
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) neutral-flavored oil
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) pure maple syrup
- 1⁄2 cup (150 g) Chocolate Ganache
- 2 teaspoons cacao nibs
How to Make It
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Whisk together the flours, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cayenne in a medium-size bowl.
- Whisk together the milk, Sucanat, oil, and maple syrup in a small bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well. The mixture should hold together when packed, with no flour visible. Add an extra 1 tablespoon (15 ml) milk, if needed. Dump the mixture onto a 12-inch (30 cm) piece of parchment paper. Shape into a 4-inch (10 cm) tube.
- Cut the dough into eight 1⁄2-inch (1.3 cm) slices, patting any crumbly bits back into the cookie and reshaping the cookies into rounds, if needed. Transfer to the baking sheet and bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until the cookies are firmly set and the bottom has slightly darkened. Do not overbake. Let cool on a wire rack.
- Spread each cookie with approximately 1 tablespoon (19 g) ganache and sprinkle evenly with the cacao nibs.
