I must have officially reached that age where life whizzes past. The days and years no longer drag on like I felt they did when I was at school, or on the long summer holidays. Now life is all more of a dash, with months seeming to slip by without me really knowing it. And so, all too soon, another year is almost gone. How did we all get to be another year older already, and just how did the little ones get so grown up? And while I want to stop time and just sit in the moment for a little while (and hold those little hands, and stop them from getting so big already) life marches on, as it must.

For heavens sake, they are playing ‘Santa Claus is coming to town’ on the radio.

At the end of this year, and on the cusp of a new one, I think it’s good to ask some expansive questions. For me, it’s questions like ‘What is it that I want to create?’ and ‘How do I want my life (and the lives of those around me) to feel?’.  What can I do in my everyday to create this sense of feeling?

I guess this picture is different for everyone and we will all have different priorities and dreams and ways of getting to where we want to be. Me, well I’m somewhat of a planner, but then life never really seems to go to plan anyway…

Maybe you are already where you want to be! You know what, in a lot of ways I am too! And I can’t begin to tell you how ace that feels to realise; acknowledging your achievements in itself can be quite a big thing.

My yoga teacher said the other day ‘don’t just be human doings, be human beings’. Of course! When you say it like that, it seems so simple! It’s a good time of year to remember life doesn’t have to get too complicated. Maybe being the positive change you want to see in the world feels too big right now, maybe just being a human being is enough.

Maybe that’s all you ever need to be, or do, anyway.

Spiced Date and Tahini Cookies

with Cacao Nibs and Coconut

Christmas and New Years is a great time for musing : about life and love, human nature, where we have been and where we are all going. It’s okay if this time of year gets you all reflective, because otherwise the days and weeks can just slip by so fast, it’s good to stop for a second and have a think about where you want to go next, and how you are going to get there. Take a minute to look back at the road you have travelled on and how far you have come. Maybe when we look at our life like a before and after shot, it’s easier to see all the truly magnificent changes that have actually happened, without us really realising in the moment how big that stuff actually is. Take a minute to remember any glorious individual moments that made up your year. And, if you can bear to, maybe even remember the crappy ones. Because you know what, you got through those ones too, and no doubt they will have made you all the stronger.

Christmas is a time of families and food. Hopefully good kinds of both. It’s also often a bit of a whirlwind of comings and goings, of big feeling times and lots and lots of food. It’s a time to seek comfort and connection, whatever that may look like for you.

If your Christmas involves some kind of cookie tradition (as I know it does in a lot of places in the world) but you’re looking to make something a bit healthier (and still with that sense of comfort) then these could be the cookie for you.

Spiced Date and Tahini Cookies with Cacao Nibs and Coconut

I know I have been on a bit of a tahini-athon recently. Tahini and dates, or tahini and maple syrup (so good!). Tahini is full of good minerals, as well as being creamy and delicious, and I did buy a 2kg tub a few weeks back, that probably has something to do with it too…

These are just about the quickest and healthiest cookie you are ever likely to make. They’re not overly sweet, which is quite nice given all the treats around at this time of year; but they are cosy and comforting, and feel just right snuggled up next to a glass of milk (in front of a fire I imagine, if you’re living somewhere chilly right now) or make a sustaining, high energy snack, perfect for riding those new Christmas bikes, or going for a swim (if you’re living somewhere warm). They won’t give you an afternoon headache, or toothache, and if kids ask can they have a another one, you can say yes without a second thought.

Hey, you could even leave one out for Santa.

Spiced Date and Tahini Cookies with Cacao Nibs and Coconut

Recipe adapted from Tahini Date Cookie

Makes approx. 15 cookies

1/2 cup tahini
1/2 cup tightly packed dates (I used the smaller, drier {and cheaper, at least in my health food shop} deglet nour variety)
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon golden flax meal (ground golden flaxseeds)
2 tablespoon coconut flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon powder
2 teaspoons lucuma powder (optional)
1/2 teaspoons ground licorice
2 teaspoons ground ginger
pinch of salt

1/3 – 1/2 cup cacao nibs (optional), for rolling the cookies in
1/3 – 1/2 cup shredded coconut (optional), for rolling the cookies in

Preheat your oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas mark 4. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

In a small saucepan, place the tahini, dates and water. Cover with a lid and heat over low heat for 3 – 4 minutes, or until the dates become soft. Allow to cool for a minute before tipping the mixture into a blender or food processor.

Add all of the dry ingredients into the blender/food processor along with the date mixture, and process until the mixture is smooth and thick.

Roll a heaped teaspoon of the mixture into a ball using the palm of your hand. Squash the ball slightly, and roll in either the cacao nibs or coconut, if using. Place on the baking paper, and repeat with the remaining mixture.

Place the baking tray in the oven and bake for 10 – 12 minutes, or until the cookies are golden and have puffed slightly. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.