Prebiotic cookie dough drops

Makes 12

RAW cookie dough is full of nostalgic childhood memories of baking with my granny, so I wanted to recreate it with a version that I could also share with my gut microbes. This is a perfect afternoon pick-me-up, or an ideal treat for a movie night, boasting 4.25 plant points in every ball. Try it dotted into ice cream. It will keep for up to a week in the fridge, or in the freezer for up to a month.

● ½ x 400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed twice

● 80g cashew butter, or nut or seed butter of choice

● 1 tsp vanilla extract

● 3 tbsp ground almonds

● 5 Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped

● 35g dark chocolate chips, roughly chopped

● 80g chocolate of choice for coating (optional)

PLACE the chickpeas, nut butter, vanilla extract, ground almonds and dates in a food processor and blitz for 1 to 2 minutes into a thick paste. It usually makes a big ball of dough. If the mix is a little dry, add water to help it blend (a bit at a time, up to 1 tbsp). Stir in the chocolate chips. Split the dough into 12 even pieces and roll into balls. Place them on a tray lined with a piece of non-stick baking paper and chill in the fridge while you melt the chocolate (if using). Break the chocolate into pieces and put in a heatproof mixing bowl. Melt by placing over a saucepan of simmering water or heating in the microwave in 30-second bursts. Decorate the drops with as much chocolate as you like – dunk fully, drizzle or pour a spoonful over.