2018 Holiday Recipes
Clean "Sugar" Cookies
This is probably the recipe I am most proud of- mostly because it took so many tries to get it right! Baking is a science, and a "clean" cookie is a tough thing to master since the main elements of the cookie are sugar, flour and butter. I decided to keep the butter but replace the other two with their more nutritious friends. These cookies are gluten-free, refined-sugar free, and soooo yummy. The dough is so versatile- I used the same dough base and made it 3 different ways. The dough by itself is semi-paleo (I say "semi" because some true Paleo eaters don't consider baking powder Paleo). Make them plain, or try them one of the 3 different ways that I made them!
Ingredients:
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3/4 cup grass-fed butter, softened
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2 eggs
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1 tsp pure vanilla extract
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1 cup coconut palm sugar
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2 cups almond flour
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3/4 cup arrowroot flour/starch
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1/3 cup coconut flour
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1 tsp salt
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2 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
Instructions:
1. In a large bowl, beat the butter with a hand mixer until completely soft and uniform in texture.
2. Add the eggs and vanilla, and continue to mix using electric mixer.
3. Add the coconut sugar and continue to mix.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining dry ingredients (almond flour, arrowroot starch, coconut flour, baking powder and salt) until well blended.
5. At this point, the dough will be really soft. Scoop the dough into a ball and wrap it in plastic wrap. (Lay the plastic wrap on the counter, scoop the dough into a ball with a large spoon, and dump it onto the plastic wrap).
6. Wrap the dough up tightly, then place in the fridge for at least 4 hours (you can also leave it overnight).
When you're ready to bake the cookies:
7. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large baking sheet with non-toxic parchment paper.
8. After the dough has firmed up, unwrap it and use a cookie scoop, an ice cream scoop, or a regular spoon to scoop 1-2 inch balls. Use your hands to roll them into uniform balls, and place on the baking sheet.
9. Bake for 13-15 minutes- the cookies should be slightly browned on the edges. Remove from oven and allow to cool on the pan for at least 10 minutes.
To make the chocolate-dipped cookies:
Follow instructions above. After the cookies have cooled, mix 1 cup chocolate of choice* with 1/2 tsp coconut oil in a small, glass bowl. Microwave on half power for 1 minute, stirring every 20 seconds. Once the chocolate is liquid, simply dip the cookies halfway into the chocolate, then place on parchment or wax paper to cool.
*I like Lily's Stevia-sweetened chocolate chips.
To make the Snickerdoodles:
Follow instructions above, except after you roll the cookie dough into balls, roll it in a 1:1 mixture of cinnamon and coconut sugar. Coat each cookie completely, then cook as usual.
To make the cut-out cookies:
This is not for the faint of heart!
Kidding, but on a serious note these were not easy to make, so I only recommend it if you have some baking experience. You'll need about 1/2 cup arrowroot starch to use as "flour" to coat the dough and make sure it doesn't stick to your work surface, the rolling pin, or your hands.
Make sure the cookie dough has been in the fridge for long enough so that the dough is firm. Sprinkle arrowroot powder on your work surface (you can use a large cutting board, or just a clean counter top).
Rub arrowroot powder on your hands, then make sure the dough is in a large ball. Flatten it into a disk and sprinkle the top of it generously with arrowroot flour. Rub arrowroot flour on your rolling pin, then begin to roll the dough out to make it flat, about 1/4 inch thick. If at any time the dough starts to feel sticky, add more arrowroot flour on top as you are rolling it out.
Cut the cookies out using your preferred cookie cutter shapes, and place on the lined baking sheet. You'll bake these at 325 degrees F but for slightly less time- ~ 12 minutes. Keep an eye on them, and pull them out when they are just starting to brown on the edges. Allow to cool on the pan for 15 minutes before icing them.
For the icing- I used coconut butter! I love coconut butter because it hardens just like the pretty royal icing you see on professionally decorated cookies. You can buy it pretty much anywhere.
Melt the coconut butter in a glass bowl in the microwave, stirring frequently. Once it's liquid, pour it into a piping bag or a ziploc bag with one corner cut out and pipe the "icing" onto the cookies. Top with sprinkles of choice.