DEEP-DISH CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE WITH CINNAMON NICE CREAM

Serves 4–6 people

For the cinnamon nice cream:

60 g (2 oz) coconut oil, melted • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract • 6 bananas, peeled and frozen • 2 tbsp coconut yoghurt
8 pitted Medjool or ordinary dates, roughly chopped

For the chocolate chip cookie:

2 × 400 g (14 oz) tinned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
100 g (3½ oz/1 cup) rolled oats • 90 g (3 oz/1/3 cup) unsweetened apple purée
2 tbsp melted coconut oil • 2 tsp vanilla extract • ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
2 tsp baking powder • ½ tsp sea salt • 120 ml (4 fl oz) maple syrup
100 g (3½ oz/½ cup) coconut sugar • 160 g (5½ oz/1 cup) dark chocolate chips

Don’t shudder when you see beans listed as an ingredient in this cookie recipe. I promise you can’t taste them, and they make the most decadent-tasting cookie that is naturally gluten-free and deliciously squidgy. Just don’t tell your friends what is in the cookie before they eat it!

For the cinnamon nice cream, simply blend everything together (except the dates) in a food processor until smooth and creamy. Finally, stir in the chopped dates and pop into the freezer to firm up for a couple of hours.

To make the cookie, preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F/Gas 5). Take a round 25 cm (10 in) pie dish and grease it lightly with coconut oil. Put all the ingredients (except the chocolate chips) in a food processor and blend until smooth, scraping down sides every 30 seconds. Fold in the chocolate chips. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, sprinkle with more chocolate chips if you want, and bake for 35–40 minutes or until firm to the touch. Don’t be tempted to over-bake the cookie. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes.

To serve, top with scoops of the cinnamon nice cream and take to the table with lots of spoons so people can dig in. Of course for a more formal affair, slice the cookie up and put on individual plates along with a scoop of nice cream.