A family that I work for asked me what I did for sugar cookies and so I had to come up with a new creation! I never liked sugar cookies, but these, watch out...
The first few batches I did were stars, hence the name Christmas Stars, but after my garbage disposal ate my star cookie cutter, the stars turned to traditional cookie shapes (without the traditional sugar recipe). To me these taste sweet! I put them to the test on Daniel, some friends, my coworkers, and then out to families I work with. I haven't gotten a bad review yet!
If you are looking for a little dessert or something just to satisfy a sweet tooth popping one or two of these might not be too bad. On the contrary, share them with a friend over tea- they make a great tea cookie too. The flax and psyllium are good digestive aids for your children too.
effort: über easy
time: 35-45 minutes
Ingredients:
1 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup melted ghee
1/4 cup maple syrup- the real stuff (grade b or better)
1 TBS ground flax seed
1/4 TBS psyllium husk
1 tsp vanilla extract (our simple homemade recipe is here)
dash of sea salt (I use himalayan or celtic)
*(if you want a vegan option substitute 1/2 c. melted coconut oil. The coconut oil was a bit more goey, I'd say. If dairy doesn't bother you -and you don't care about the vegan- I'm sure organic butter would work fine too)*
Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a mixer (I LOVE my kitchen aid)! If dough doesn't form into a ball and is slightly dry, you can add a TBS of water. I haven't had to do this my last few batches so I think I've perfected the amounts.
Roll the cookies out just as you would a regular sugar cookie dough. I use a bit of brown rice flour to coat both the cutting board and the rolling pin (and my hands) so it doesn't stick. Use cookie cutters to cut out the shapes you want and place on a baking cookie sheet (I use clay cookie sheets, I am not sure if aluminum ones will change cooking time). Personally, I keep ours really small so I don't feel bad about eating 2 or 3 of them at a time.
Bake at 350 degrees for 17-20 minutes. Special note, the bottoms will turn a slight brown and be easy to remove from the cookie sheet. The tops will still look slightly undone. Don't worry, they firm up as they cool. If you are a little hesitant- go for the full 20 minutes (it won't hurt)!
I do not recommend trying to eat them or move them around a lot before they cool. If you've rolled them too thin, they may crumble. Although, I haven't had this problem. I tend to keep mine a little thicker (normal sugar cookie thick).
I am sure you could certianly whip up some coconut milk frosting and decorate them, but I haven't gotten there yet.
Some fun ingredient facts:
Flaxseeds: lower blood sugar levels, decreases bone loss, fights cancer, increases immunity, and improves digestion.
Psyllium Husks: filled with fiber, reduces hunger, reduces flactlualence and bloating, and improves digestive and intestinal health.
Now, although these cookies are packed with fantastic stuff, don't go eating an entire batch of them... Keep your consumption in moderation! But you don't have to feel as guilty eating one too many as you would eating those King Sooper's synthetic sugar bombs.
One more random- just when I thought I was gonna be stuck with straight dull, thin hair, my curls decided to pop back up! So excited today! I will contribute it to my diet. My grandma always used to tell me "eat your crust, so your hair curls." Unfortunately, I won't even eat the bread now, but she was right on one thing- eat nutritiously and watch you skin, hair, and nails thrive! FYI she is 89, still drives, just retired a few years ago, and rides her stationary bike EVERY DAY! She is my role model.
Who has tried them? Please report!
Happy holidays from my kitchen to yours,
HAE