The holiday season brings about a lot of sweets, such as cookies, chocolate, cake, lattes and so much more. It can be tough to keep the sugar intake in moderation at this time of year, especially when everything is displayed so beautifully and with a  festive twist! A nice tip is to bring your own healthier and allergen-free option dessert when visiting friends and family during this holiday season. These two-holiday cookie recipes are wonderful gluten-free, vegan and less sweet alternatives than what you typically see on the dessert table.  One is a Hazelnut Cookie that is packed with fibre due to the nuts and seed content, and the other is a flaky and buttery Shortbread Cookie. Make sure you buy some cute Christmas tins to pack them into and decorate them with some festive toppings! 

Hazelnut Cookies

(Gluten-Free, Vegan, Dairy-Free)

Prep Time: 6 minutes, Cook Time: 14 min, Servings: 12-15

  •       1 cup almond flour
  •       ¼ cup gluten-free flour blend
  •       ½ cup coconut sugar (or any of your choice)
  •       2 tbsp cocoa powder
  •       1 tsp baking soda
  •       ½ cup of cashew butter (or any of your choice)
  •       1 tbsp flax egg
  •       ¼ cup of coconut oil
  •       ¼ cup hazelnuts
  •       ½ cup dark chocolate chunks (or dairy-free alternative)
  •       1 tbsp coconut milk (or nut milk of choice)

 

  1.       Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
  2.       Prepare the flax egg by mixing the flaxseeds with 3 tbsp of water. Set aside for at least 5 minutes.
  3.       In a mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients and mix well. In a small separate bowl, combine the cashew butter, coconut oil and flax egg.
  4.       Combine all ingredients together and mix well until fully combined. Fold in hazelnuts and chocolate chunks. If the batter is too thick add some milk.
  5.       Form 14 small balls of dough and place on the pan. Gently flatten each ball with the back of a fork. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until edges are brown.
  6.       Once baked, remove from the oven and cool them for at least 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
  7.       Enjoy!

Shortbread Cookies

Adapted from Two Spoons Vegan Shortbread Cookie recipe

https://twospoons.ca/recipe/vegan-shortbread-cookies/

(Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-free)

Prep Time: 20 minutes, Cook Time: 15 min, Servings: 25-30 cookies

  •       2 ½ cups of all-purpose Gluten-Free Flour
  •       ½ cup icing sugar
  •       ½ tsp cinnamon
  •       ¼ tsp sea salt
  •       ½ cup almond flour
  •       ¼ cup maple syrup
  •       1 cup of dairy-free butter (I use Earth Balance)
  •       1 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting

  •       ¾ icing sugar
  •       2 tbsp almond milk (or any type of dairy-free milk)
  •       ¼ tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  1.       Preheat oven to 350 F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2.       Sift gluten-free flour and icing sugar into a large bowl. Add cinnamon, salt and almond flour and mix.
  3.       Slice butter into chunks and add to bowl. Massage the dough with your hands to combine the flour and the butter until dough is combined. Add maple syrup and vanilla and mix. Bring together to form dough into a ball.
  4.       Powder the counter with some flour and roll dough into a thin sheet, approx. ¼ inch. Use a round cookie cutter to cut into circles and place cookies onto the sheet. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes, or until they are a golden colour. Cool completely.
  5.       Make the icing by sifting icing sugar into a bowl and add dairy-free milk and vanilla. Continue to add milk until it reaches the consistency you desire.
  6.       Turn the cookies upside down and dip the cookie into the frosting to cover the surface
  7.       Decorate with some festive toppings and Enjoy!

Notes:

Ø  Cookies will keep well in the fridge for up to one week

Happy Holidays!!