DULCE DE LECHE FILLED CHOCOLATE THUMBPRINT COOKIES ~RAW FOOD STYLE

Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner and I wanted to make a dessert that was healthy and original and with a Mexican influence. Since both chocolate and dulce de leche are big over there, those two flavors ended up in a raw food style cookie that you can indulge in without feeling guilty. Sounds to good to be true? Well, there are no processed flours, oils, or refined sugars in them, Only nutrient rich ingredients! How great is that?!

I have not one ounce of Mexican in me, but a few Mexican cities are among some of my favorite travel destinations, Cinco de Mayo is also one of my favorite celebrations. Perhaps it's all the fantastic foods that they have to offer, the colorful decors, the margaritas, or just the happy, festive ways of celebrating that lure me into loving that culture.  I can't decide... I am just excited that Cinco de Mayo is tomorrow!



DULCE DE LECHE FILLED CHOCOLATE THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Ingredients:

For the chocolate cookies:

1 1/2 cups of  raw walnuts
8 dates, pitted (if they are hard, soften in warm water for 30 minutes before using)
1/4 cup of raw cacao
2 tablespoons of water
2 teaspoon of vanilla essence
1/2 cup gluten free old fashion oats
1/4 cup hemp seeds

For the dulce de leche:

3 tablespoons of tahini
3 tablespoons of coconut nectar
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence

Preparation:

For the cookies:

In a food processor, grind the walnuts into a chunky flour consistency.
Place the walnut flour into a separate bowl.
Using the food processor again, place the dates, the water, the cacao, and the vanilla essence, and process until smooth.
Once the chocolate mixture is smooth, add the walnut flour back, along with the old fashioned oats and the hemp seeds, and process until all the ingredients are well blended.
Using a measuring tablespoon, scoop up the mixture, and make little balls with them.
Place the balls over a large piece of parchment paper, and press on them to flatten them up to about 1/4 to 1/2 inch in thickness,
Press the middle with your thumb to make a small indentation in the center of the cookies. reserve.

For the dulce de leche: 

Place the tahini, the coconut nectar, and the vanilla essence in a small bowl and mix until the texture becomes very smooth and velvety.

To assemble:

Place small amounts of caramel into the indented cookies.
Keep refrigerated.

This will make about 20 cookies