Grain-Free Lemon Coconut Cut-out Cookies (gluten-free, vegan)
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
I ♡ cut-out cookies. Since I hadn't made cut-out cookies since Easter, I figured it was about time. I found a great little recipe over at Green Kitchen Stories for Pepparkaka. Instead of going the gingerbreadesque spicy route as their recipe called for, I tweaked it in favor of something lemony and coconutty. They are super delish, and were loved by my housemates and me. I took a few to fellow blogger and Minneapolitan A-K from Swell Vegan when we met for tea the other day, and she polished off three of them in a jiffy. Since she's a rockin' baker, I think that her favorable review bodes well for these little lovelies.
These cookies are grain-free and gluten-free, featuring a mix of ground cashews, shredded coconut, amaranth flour (made from the high protein amaranth seed), and arrowroot starch, with an assortment of other tasty ingredients. They are also vegan, featuring coconut oil instead of butter. I thought they would be a perfect submission to this month's SOS Kitchen Challenge, which features coconut oil. Ricki, my SOS Kitchen Challenge co-host, and I are also offering a great giveaway this month to one SOS Kitchen Challenge participant: a 32-oz jar of Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil from Tropical Traditions! Pretty great, right?
If you are interested, check out the details and rules of the recipe event and giveaway HERE, then get in the kitchen and get cookin'! Be sure to check out the Linky below this post to see all the great recipe submissions this month - don't forget to add yours!
This recipe has been featured on Slightly Indulgent Tuesday and Baking is Hot.
Grain-Free Lemon Coconut Cut-Out Cookies
Makes 20-40 depending on the size of the cookie cutters
recipe adapted from David and Luise at Green Kitchen Stories
I used the finely shredded coconut from Tropical Traditions, which is very, very finely shredded and absolutely lovely. If you are using the more common unsweetened shredded coconut available at co-ops, grocers, and Whole Foods, you will want to blitz it a few times in the food processor to get a finer texture.
- 1 cup cashews
- 15 medjool dates, pitted
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil (I used Tropical Traditions brand)
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 2 tsp ginger, ground
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated (I used a microplane to grate it)
- zest from 1 lemon (I used a microplane to zest it)
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 cup finely shredded coconut (I used Tropical Traditions brand)
- 1/2 cup arrowroot starch/flour
- 1 cup amaranth flour or quinoa flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp xanthan gum or guar gum
- pinch sea salt
Grind the cashews into a flour in a blender or a food processor. Add dates, oil, agave syrup, both gingers, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt, and pulse until everything is mixed into a sticky dough. Sift together flour and starch and baking soda, and start adding the flour into the food processor, pulsing to combine. When it is done, the dough will be quite thick and moist, but not super sticky. You may notice it seems really oily; that's okay. Put it in the fridge over the night or at least for three hours.
When ready to bake, remove dough from fridge and let cool 30 minutes. Set the oven to 350º F. Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Roll out the dough roughly 1/8-inch thick on a pastry mat, or like David and Luise suggest, between two sheets of plastic wrap, as it keeps the dough from sticking on the rolling pin. Cut it with cookie cutters and transfer it to the parchment paper.
Bake for 7-10 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of the cookies, rotating pans half way through the baking time if baking more than one pan at time. Keep an eye on the oven and make sure not to over bake them, I baked until the edges just started to turn golden brown (9 minutes). Since they contain cashews and coconut, they will burn easily.
January 2011 SOS Kitchen Challenge: Coconut Oil
Reader Comments (7)
This is my kinda cookie! They look great, Kim. (And I guess you used Trop Traditions oil, too, right?) ;)
Thanks Ricki! You bet I did! I love Tropical Traditions coconut everything! xo
So, I'm guessing that one could leave out the honey/agave and make these just date sweetened, as well. Yum!
Those look great! Lemon is such a wonderful ingredient.
Wow, they look fantastic! We're sure trying your recipe next time!
/Luise.
Your cookies look like real winners! MMMMMM,..!
Yummy! I haven't made cut out cookies in such a long time and I love how healthy these are (relative to normal sugar cookies.) I have definitely bookmarked this recipe!