cookie Archives | Page 10 of 10

For some reason I just can’t get into the so-called Christmas spirit. Anybody else out there feeling the same way? I got out my sparse collection of decorations at the beginning of this week and they are still in the same spot, unmoved and collecting dust at this point. I’ve been trying to think about why this is and I’ve settled on a combination of it not feeling like Christmas (it was 80 and humid today… blech) and not having found a routine or sense of normalcy that I mentioned in the last post.

I’m thinking that perhaps I can get into the holiday spirit by just cultivating positivity and genuine happiness and thoughtfulness with those around me. I found myself doing it at work today, going the extra mile to try to make someone’s day even if it meant making them a breakfast taco 15 minutes after we stopped serving them. It didn’t put me out any, but it seemed to make that person really happy. And in turn, it made me happy.

So now for the cookies. All you really need to know is these are simple and taste like freakin’ Christmas. They are vegan and gluten free of course, but they are also grain free depending on the type of powdered sugar you use. I think these are perfect for a party or for something sweet to munch on while you watch Christmas Vacation for the eleventy-billionth time while reciting the lines word for word. The only word of caution I will provide is that these are slightly messy to eat if you aren’t careful. Though I suppose spots of powdered sugar on your shirt could maybe be considered edible Christmas decor…

Candied Ginger Snowballs

As mentioned above, to make these grain free use either a whole cane powered sugar or one made with tapioca or arrowroot starch as opposed to corn starch. If you are a ginger fiend, you can up the amount of candied ginger, or vice versa if you just want a smidge.

150g almond flour

30g arrowroot flour

1/4 tsp fine sea salt

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

heaped tbsp minced candied ginger

30g coconut oil, melted

65g agave nectar

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsbp flaxmeal

powdered sugar to coat (I used about half a cup)

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment.

In a bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, then mix in the candied ginger. In a separate small bowl, combine the wet ingredients and flaxmeal. Let this mixture sit for about 5 minutes to thicken, then add it to the dry ingredients. Stir until a relatively stiff dough forms and all of the wet ingredients have been fully incorporated into the dry.

Using a small cookie scoop, take level scoops of the dough, roll them into balls, then place them on your baking sheet at least 1 1/2 inches apart. Once you have used up all of the dough, place the baking sheet in the freezer for about 5 minutes to firm up the dough (this helps the cookies keep a rounded shape).

Bake the cookies for 18 to 20 minutes until they are golden and firm. Cool the cookies completely. Once they are cooled toss them in the powdered sugar until they are coated evenly. Store in an airtight container. Makes about 20 small cookies.

So it’s not quite blackberry season yet, but I couldn’t resist getting some at the market the other day. They pretty much screamed my name from across the aisle, so I gave in and got a small container. I half expected them to be tart and almost inedible like most out of season berries are, but they were sweet and delicious. Go figure.

In wondering what to do with them, I had an idea to somehow work them into a macaroon of sorts. I have some pink grapefruit macaroons in my shop, so I just tweaked it for this specific recipe. In wondering how best to incorporate the berries, I came across a post from Smitten Kitchen. The recipe has you blend everything up in a food processor – problem solved! These macaroons are some of the best I’ve ever had or made. The slight tartness of the lemon and blackberries works so well with the coconut. Besides being delicious, they are also gluten free, grain free, and dairy free. Yay! It’s quite unfortunate that I can’t offer them in my shop. The fresh blackberries in them wouldn’t really ship well, so that’s why I’m sharing them here.

Before I give you the recipe and more drool-worthy photos, I feel I must inform you that I saw the first ripe dewberries of the season on my walk this morning! I couldn’t resist popping two in my mouth before awkwardly looking around to make sure no one saw me. It was pretty much the highlight of my morning.

Lemon Blackberry Macaroons
I used a small cookie scoop for these and ended up getting 14 macaroons. If you have a larger cookie scoop, you may want to double the recipe to yield more cookies. Or, just leave it as is. If you are not eating these the day you make them, they store best in the refrigerator in an airtight container, or covered in plastic wrap.

1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
1/3 cup organic natural cane sugar (also called evaporated cane juice)
pinch of fine grain sea salt
zest of 1 lemon
about a tsp of fresh lemon juice
2 egg whites
heaping 1/2 cup of blackberries

Preheat your oven to 350F and place the rack in the upper 1/3 of the oven. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.

Put the coconut, lemon zest, and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a couple of times to combine. Next, add the sugar and salt and pulse a couple of more times. Add the egg whites next and pulse a few times to bring the mixture together (it will start clumping together). Add the blackberries and carefully pulse a few times (3 to 5 times) until the blackberries are roughly chopped. You want the mixture to look streaked through with purple and chunks of blackberries instead of completely purple.

Using a small cookie or ice cream scoop, place mounds of the mixture onto your lined baking sheet. You can shape the mounds if you need to using damp fingers. Bake the macaroons in the upper 1/3 of the oven for 15-18 minutes until the bottoms are golden and the tops are just starting to turn golden. Cool them on the sheet for at least 20 minutes before attempting to remove them. Enjoy!