Just in time for the holidays, here is a super easy and super healthy cookie recipe.  Do you ever feel that around the holidays you have to give up being healthy for a month in order to enjoy yourself or at the very least be sociable and not scolded, ridiculed or bothered by your loved ones who just do n;t get it?  I firmly believe you can have tasty food without derailing your journey of health and happiness.  These cookies are oil free and are sweetened with dates and figs!  They contain vegan chocolate chips which contain sugar and have some fat.  Apart from that the only other fat is 3 g from the flaxseed (for the entire batch.)meal  I promise even your non-health focused family and friends will gobble these up.  I tested these on my husband who has ‘regular’ taste buds.  In bis words: “They have a soft and pleasantly thick texture without that heavy feeling in your stomach afterwards.” In other words, THEY DON’T TASTE LIKE CARDBOARD AND SAND PAPER. They are way healthier than a traditional chocolate chip cookie but the gluten free all-purpose flour and the chocolate chips are processed foods so I don’t make them all the time.

1 1/2 cups of gluten free flour ( I used a combo of Trader Joe’s all purpose and brown rice flour.)

3/4 cups vegan chocolate chips

1 tbsp flaxseed meal

2 tsp baking powder

1tsp baking soda

1 tsp xanthan gum

1/2 tsp sea salt

10-12 medjool dates (depending on how large they are)

5 Turkish figs

2 tsbp vanilla extract

water as needed

1. Pre-soak dates and figs in 2/3 cup of water for 30-60 minutes and remove pits and tips.
2. Preheat oven to 350 and line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Combine dry ingredients and chocolate chips
4. Blend softened dates and figs  with 1/4 cup of the soaking water in food processor and then add vanilla.
5. Add to the dry ingredients and gradually add water as needed to get all dry ingredients moist.  Depending on the type of flour used you will need to add anywhere from 1/2-1 cup water.
6. Use a spoon to scoop batter onto baking sheets.
7. With wet hans press batter down gently to shape.
8. Bake for 12-14 minutes.
9. Makes about 36 2 1/2 inch cookies.

They have about 60 calories each.  They are best eaten on the same day.  If they will sit longer than 2 days, freeze the extras.  They are low fat, contain no added sugar, vegan, gluten free and free of common allergens like nuts and soy.