Pecan Chocolate Cookies Recipe

Tim says: “These cookies are a ZOE favourite on our Instagram. They’re a great alternative to UPF snacks, as they’re really easy to make and require minimal ingredients. The nuts and olive oil help moderate your blood sugar response, but you can also add other fillings such as spiced oats and raisins. If you like a chewy cookie, take them out of the oven a little early.”

Prep time:

10 minutes (plus 15 minutes standing time for the flax egg)

Cook time:

10–12 minutes

Plants:

Makes:

12 cookies

Ingredients

2 tbsp ground flaxseed
3 tbsp light brown sugar
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
200g ground almonds
50g pecan nuts, roughly chopped
80g dark chocolate (at least 70 per cent cocoa solids), roughly chopped
Pinch of salt

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas 4 and line a baking tray with baking parchment. To make the flax egg, mix the ground flaxseed with 4 tablespoons of water and set aside for 15 minutes.

2. Mix the brown sugar, olive oil and flax egg together. Add the ground almonds, pecan nuts, chocolate and salt and mix again.

3. Shape into 12 tight balls and flatten slightly into cookies about 1cm thick (it helps if you do this with damp hands). Bake for 10–12 minutes until tinged golden brown at the edges, then leave to cool completely on the tray. Store in an airtight container.

Extracted from The Food for Life Cookbook by Tim Spector (Vintage, £28). All photography by Issy Croker.

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