Most of the gingerbread we ate during the holidays tended to be kind of dry and stale. This is a shame, because gingerbread cookies, cooked properly, are simply awesome.
We recently discovered a recipe for a chewy variety. They’re crisp on the outside, but melt-in-your-mouth soft on the inside. We added vegan chocolate chips for an additional flavor sensation. You can bake these cookies without chocolate chips if you desire. They taste great either way.
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon flax seeds, soaked in 3 tablespoons water
2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup gluten-free pastry flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon sea salt (not the iodized variety)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup softened coconut oil
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1/4 cup turbinado sugar (for rolling)
3/4 cup unsweetened dark chocolate chips (optional — check label and make sure there is no dairy)
INSTRUCTIONS
Stir flax seeds and water together in a small bowl and let the mixture sit for about 15 minutes until the seeds swell and most of the liquid is absorbed. Meanwhile, mix the two flours, spices, baking soda and salt together in a medium-sized bowl.
In a separate, larger bowl, stir together the molasses, coconut sugar, flax mixture, vanilla extract, grated ginger, and chocolate chips. Ladle the wet mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients, a little bit at a time. Your batter should be moist but not runny.
Place the bowl into the refrigerator and chill for about half an hour. Remove from refrigerator. One at a time, using a large spoon, scoop out dough pieces from the bowl’s interior. They should be about 1 1/2 teaspoons in diameter. Form each one into a loose ball. Sprinkle a layer of turbinado sugar on cutting board. Roll the dough balls around in the sugar until each one is thoroughly coated. Position them a couple of inches apart on a cookie sheet, greased with coconut oil or vegan butter (such as Earth Balance).
Place cookie sheet in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes. The chilled dough will create a nice, crackly texture across the top of your cookies after you pop them into the oven. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10-15 minutes. Your cookies won’t get much bigger, so they won’t take long. Be careful not to burn them!
Makes about two dozen. Try to eat dinner before you dig into these cookies, so you won’t eat so many. They keep well, securely covered, for 4-5 days, but will be gone way before then. Enjoy!
