The narrow path ahead seemed to be twist and turning forever. The shadows from the masses of leaves shading the midday sun made the hike slightly more comfortable. It was unbelievably hot for a December winter in Hong Kong. We passed an old pavilion with a large black plaque engraved with beautiful gold characters I could barely make out. It just seemed like yesterday I had been running up the hills with my family during Ching Ming Festival to pay our respects to my great-grandparents and several distant relatives I had barely known.
We climbed up the steep hill and several stairs daintily to see an array of tombstones overlooking the blue ocean. I looked at the tall wall and finally my eyes saw the pictures of my grandmother, head high and eyes shining. I turned to peek at my grandfather in his cute wool vest over his checkered shirt and large shades. I could see his lips quivering and his hand abruptly brushing off tears. It was Christmas, yet we were here to commemorate my grandmother’s passing.
Looking at my grandfather and the loving gaze he had as he grasped the small bouquet in his hands I was reminded again of how fleeting life really was. As I looked around at my grandparent’s 3 story villa, tables were arranged with plates of caviar, smoked salmon, braised beef brisket, deep fried wontons, mashed cucumber salad, local fishballs, freshly made wontons and a bubbling hot pot – I smiled faintly remembering my grandmother fondly wrapping wontons with her delicious shrimp & cabbage filling. Just like my grandmother would, Zoe and I brought something special to share with the family to taste: Flourless Cashew Chocolate Chip Cookies. Made purely out of cashews this cookie is completely gluten free, paleo, low-carb and flourless. Cashews naturally have a lot of fat that allows the cookie to hold up well on it’s own. They also impart a fragrant, nutty aroma that no ordinary chocolate chip cookie would have. Just for the sake of it, Zoe and I like to chop up our own chocolate so we can get rough chunks of chocolate peeking in out of the dough.
The smiles, the laughter, the chatter would be missed, especially my grandmother’s. I still think about her a lot as I cook. She loved the praises, the compliments and to see people enjoy her food. As I saw the nods of approval, the surprise looks on the faces of my family members (most who only enjoy traditional chinese foods), I felt my grandmother’s pat of approval. This would be recipe she would have loved.
We have tested this recipe multiple times and it is absolutely delicious. My dad even kept a few for himself the second time we made it because he loved it so much. Even the pickiest eaters of my family (who hate cashews or nuts) raves on about this cookie “that doesn’t even taste healthy”.
I had my dad pose for the picture below, in exchange for a cookie 😉
- 1¼ cup raw cashews
- 1 egg (or Flax Egg)
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- ½ tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 100g Bar Vegan/Dairy Free Dark Chocolate, roughly chopped)
- Soak cashews in hot water for 30 mins - 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Drain the cashews well and add to a food processor. You want it to be completely smooth and creamy. This will take 5-10 minutes.
- Add in the egg, sugar, vanilla, baking powder. Process till combined.
- Mix in the chocolate chips.
- Portion out 1 tbsp of dough on a baking tray.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes. (Best eaten when it is completely cooled and firm).
LOVE,
Zoe & Mia
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