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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.

I have developed a bad habit involving forgetting to put away or use particular items . For instance, I’ve had my tape measure sitting by the door of my closet since I hung a shelf in it almost a month ago. Yet, there it sits. Wow, that was embarrassing to admit… When I do notice it, I think about needing to put it up, then twenty other thoughts enter my head and I move on. And there the lonely tape measure sits. I’m not sure why I do this sort of thing. Maybe there’s some psychological explanation for it. Or, maybe it’s laziness. Now that I think about it, I’m almost one hundred percent positive it’s laziness.

I’ve had sort of a similar experience with garbanzo bean flour. I bought some a while ago intending to try to experiment with it. But there it sat in the pantry. I think part of the reason for its neglect was that my first experience with it wasn’t pleasant. The raw dough tasted bean-y in the most unpleasant way possible. And, the finished product was not much better. This pretty much put me completely off of the flour. It was a shame because I had bought the Flying Apron’s Gluten Free & Vegan Baking Book right before that incident and many of the recipes relied on garbanzo flour.

I decided to read through the book again recently and make it a point to just go ahead and bake with the damn flour. I started off with the scones from that book, making a plain vanilla version that I dressed up with a rather simple glaze. They weren’t bad but they didn’t exactly have that true “scone” texture. They seemed like more of a soft biscotti or cookie, but overall they were pretty tasty. I was able to detect a slightly bean-y aftertaste but this is most likely because I’m so sensitive to the taste. I decided to attempt a tea cake next and share my own adaptation of it here with you. I’m still not completely sold on garbanzo flour, but I figured I would see what your opinions were if you’ve baked with it. I think it works well with assertive flavors (like citrus, spices, or chocolate) that will mask any bean-y flavors it may impart in baked goods.

This tea cake isn’t too complicated in terms of the ingredients needed. In the version in the book, the recipe only uses brown rice flour and garbanzo flour, but I found I needed to add a bit of arrowroot to help thicken the batter a bit. I added some thinly sliced pears to the top of the cake, but this was mostly for aesthetic reasons. If you leave the pears off, I would recommend making a simple lemon glaze for the top. Or, simply dust the top with a bit of powdered sugar. This makes 1 regular sized loaf but it would easily work in a few mini pans to make it more manageable. Store extra loaves in the freezer until needed.

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