Nothing beats a cookie for me when it comes to little daily celebrations sprinkled throughout the year. Valentine's Day, for instance: I'll take a cozy night at home anyday where I can eat some favorite foods and celebrate with my sweetie sans crowds. Instead of my regular go-to "healthy" cookie, a Valentine's Day cookie called for chocolate, and I imagined something densely chocolate and satisfying while still avoiding sugar, gluten and dairy. I had just run across a recipe called "World Peace Cookies" from Dorie Greenspan - a well-published cookbook author, and they sounded delicious. A couple of tries adapting the recipe to eliminate the sugar, butter and wheat and the results were exactly what I was looking for. Easy, intensely chocolatey and perfect for dipping in hot tea or a glass of almond milk. Happy Valentine's Day everyone!
Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda and sea salt into medium bowl. With a wooden spoon, mix coconut oil and maple syrup together in a second medium bowl until smooth. Add vanilla extract and stir well. Add flour mixture and stir just until blended- the mixture will be crumbly. Add chopped chocolate and mix to distribute, kneading lightly in bowl to form a ball. Divide dough in half. Place each half on sheet of parchment paper. Form each into 1 1/2-inch-diameter log. Wrap each log in parchment and again in aluminum foil; chill until firm, about 2-3 hours. Dough can be prepared 3 days ahead at this point. Keep covered and chilled.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a thin sharp knife, cut logs crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds. If the slices crumble or break apart, just press them back together in a disc shape. Space 1 inch apart on prepared sheets. Bake 1 sheet at a time until cookies appear dry (cookies will not be firm or golden at edges), about 11 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool.
Cookies can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature. Dough can be frozen in the log; slice and bake as directed but add 2-3 minutes to the baking time.