A Guiltless Pleasure: Choco-Walnut Cookies

I've got a chocolate hangover and I'm blissfully content. Who'd have thought that three basic ingredients could produce such delicious delirium?

Toasted walnuts + egg whites + cocoa = delicious delirum 

Walnuts: A great source of omega-3's, manganese, copper and protein, they promote brain function and bone health.
Egg Whites: A good source of vitamins and minerals such as zinc, calcium and potassium.

Cocoa: Rich in antioxidants, it triggers the brain's production of natural opiates and helps cardiovascular health.

Mix them together with a little sweetener and a pinch of other healthful ingredients -- chia seeds,  ground flax seeds, cinnamon - and you've got a decandent, satisfying treat.

I couldn't stop at one. But there's no guilt here because of all the beneficial ingredients.

Choco-Walnut Cookies with Mighty Macaroons

Gluten Free Choco Walnut cookies

2 1/2 cups toasted walnuts

4 egg whites

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup sugar/ maple syrup

1 Tablespoon vanilla 

pinch salt (optional)

pinch cinnamon (optional)

1 teaspoon chia seeds (optional)

1 teaspoon ground flax seeds (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, mix together cocoa and sugar.

Add vanilla, eggs whites and optional ingredients, stirring just enough to moisten everything.  

Stir in toasted walnuts. 

Drop a tablespoon full of batter onto the baking sheet. Bake for about 9 - 12 minutes. I like my cookies gooey, so I let them bake for just 9 minutes, just until the outsides are firm.   

Store in an air-tight container to keep them moist. The cookies freeze very well.

My new guiltless pleasure

Transatlantic Ties over Chocolate Mocha Sorbet

I try not to get too attached to things. Things get lost, broken. They lose their lustre. I like to enjoy my life without worrying over what happens to my stuff.

I must admit, there are a couple of shiny things in AK's Kitchen that hold special value for me.

This broken antique lay sleeping in a cupboard. The Italian beauty was revived thanks to another Italian beauty, my friend and coffee afficionado Isa. (Her timeless face reminds me of actress Isabella Rossellini. But I digress.) Isa came to the rescue with a new gasket. Presto. My old coffee pot was back in business.

A few days later, Isa spotted a new coffee maker to add to my collection of oldies. She shipped it from her hometown of Bologna to my kitchen in Ottawa.

I have grown slightly attached to these metal coffee pots. Not so much for their appealing design, but for what they represent. Whenever I put them to work on my morning espresso, they remind me that an ocean away, a kindred soul is close at heart.

I had a shot of leftover espresso this morning. I put it to use in a simple chocolate mocha sorbet. My version is an adaptation of Ina Gartner's original recipe.

CHOCOLATE MOCHA SORBET
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 pinch salt
2 cups water
1/4 cup espresso
1 1/2 tablespoon coffee liqueur (optional)


In a heavy sauce pan over low heat, mix all ingredients except liqueur.
Stir until solid ingredients are dissolved.
Turn off heat and add liqueur.


If you don't have an ice cream maker, pour the liquid into a large, shallow container.
Freeze for four hours. 
Score the sorbet with a fork to make a slush and return to the freezer for another hour.


Serves 3-4.