CHOCOLATE ALMOND COOKIES WITH FUDGY FROSTING

My inspiration / goal for these was to use the nut pulp left over from the almond milk my mom made yesterday. I succeeded. Because the almonds were put through a blender and then strained, their consistency is extremely fine, so I guessed they'd work great in a cookie recipe, having the same texture as the original baked version. My guess was right! These cookies are delicious and nutritious (I feel like I say that all the time... because I do) and anyone can make them because they don't require any special or great skills. 

That's right; I just brought Napoleon Dynamite back into your life. You can thank me later. Right now all I want you to do in scurry into your kitchen and try making these! It took me a second to get used to their super smooth texture and very almondy flavour but once I did, I hastily gobbled down like three. Plus with the fudgy chocolate frosting, you really cannot go wrong. Oh yes - we're doing double chocolate here, folks. It's gettin' real.

Since almond pulp is an ingredient (although you CAN use plain almonds if you want), this implies that you should also have some almond milk in your fridge, ready to be drunk. This is ideal because everyone knows that chocolate cookies and milk are BFFs. This is the cruelty-free version of that eternal friendship. Point being: eat these cookies with your fresh almond milk. Keep it whole, keep it good, keep it cool. But hey, I know you always do. Wink.

I'm feeling pretty joyful - literally, full and almost bursting with joy - today because after a week of a lot of negativity entering my life, things are looking bright again. Let me say right now that I am basically always ecstatic (often to the point of not being able to control blissful laughter) about the nature and circumstances of my life. I am seriously BLESSED and I actively remember this at all times. That being said, the past several days have been unusually tough. A couple people I care very much about were fairly upset with me (for valid reasons). I developed some strange illness - a mix of mono and the flu - so I couldn't go to school. Mother Nature chose to bless me with her monthly crimson gift. All these things combined left me stranded at home, alone, coughing endlessly and painfully, with only my abnormally stressed-out mind to question if I was an evil person or if the world just misunderstands me. It also messed up my metabolism, exercise regime, and skin. Woe was me, relatively speaking. 

Fortunately, it seems I am through the worst of it. My friends are letting me back into their lives, my sickness is packing it's bags and waving farewell; meaning that soon my body and brain will get back to normal and I can return to my regularly schedule program that is life! The way I see it: this week was like a challenge, forcing me to realize more than ever how lucky I am for all that I have. In addition, getting healthy again is getting me mega pumped for a party I'm going to on Friday.

I hope you guys like hearing about my personal life because I sure do find it useful to write it out. This is my online diary for the world to see. If you don't care to know about my daily living, the internet is great in that it lets you scroll past all this junk and get right to the good stuff! That being the recipe. No losers here! Only cookies.

CHOCOLATE ALMOND COOKIES WITH FUDGY FROSTING 

Cookies:
1 cup almond pulp (or 1 1/2 cups almonds) 
1 1/2 cups medjool dates
1 heaping tablespoon maca powder
2 heaping tablespoons cacao powder
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 
Pinch of Himalayan pink salt

Frosting:
2 tablespoons cacao powder
2 tablespoons almond butter
2 tablespoons coconut nectar

To make the cookies: throw all the ingredients in your food processor and process until it all sticks together. Form into balls and press into cookies on a baking or dehydrator sheet. Dehydrate for 2-4 hours, or "bake" at the lowest temperature in your oven, until they hold together. Alternatively you can leave them as is and put them in the fridge. Up to you. Ain't nuthin' but a texture thang.

To make the frosting: mix all the ingredients together until smooth. Frost your cookies. Nom.