If you ever seen a professional cook or chef being interviewed they will frequently talk about ‘failures’ they have experienced in the kitchen. I’ve had many, which I will happily share; once I left rice boiling on the stove for not one but TWO hours (needless to say my pan was almost incinerated), another time I served hard as a rock spaghetti (how you screw pasta up I don’t even know) and on a few occasions I have made cookies for my fiancée only to burn them to an absolute crisp. All these failures have been imperative to my cooking journey, however, as I have learnt vital lessons, such as which ingredients never ever go together and that you should always watch the stove and not walk away and get absorbed in another task. All invaluable experiences and not always common sense to all.
The reason why I bring up this topic is that these 'Free from Refined Sugar cookies' were my third attempt at making gluten-free, dairy-free cookies from scratch. First I tried a chia & poppy seed combination which was basically tasteless (although my gorgeous fiancée ate them all). Secondly I baked a cacao orange dough which was extremely dry and inedible (again they were consumed in a few days by Chris). Third times the charm! I hope you enjoy these two cookie recipes
And most importantly; don't sweat the failures in the kitchen. My beautiful friend Dani assured me after my second failed cookie attempt that the next batch would be a hit and it was. Keep experimenting with recipes and flavours - you will constantly be rewarded with new knowledge if not always edible dishes;)
- 150g almond meal
- 100g Medjool dates, roughly chopped & pips removed
- 2 eggs, preferably free-range, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons organic maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil, in liquid form
To make Date & Cinnamon cookies add:
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 heaped tablespoon coconut flour
To make Date & Orange cookies add:
- 1 heaped teaspoon of finely grated orange zest
- 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
BAKING
1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 160 degrees celsius. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
2. Process the dates in a food processor until smooth. You may need to add a splash of water for the dates to obtain a smooth consistency.
2. Process the dates in a food processor until smooth. You may need to add a splash of water for the dates to obtain a smooth consistency.
3. Combine the almond meal and dates in a large bowl and mix well. Create a well in the middle of the bowl and pour in the remaining ingredients (the eggs, syrup, baking powder, oil, and either the cinnamon & coconut flour or the orange zest & juice) and stir with a wooden spoon to combine.
4. With wet hands handle 1 tablespoon of the cookie mixture and roll into a ball. Place the ball onto the tray and then gently press the back of a fork into the batter so that the dough becomes a circle. Continue this until no dough remains, making sure to place the cookies a few centimetres apart on the tray. Place the tray in the oven for around 30 minutes or until the outsides of the cookies are lightly golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack before eating.
Makes / around 15
Total Preparation time / 10-15 minutes
Total Baking time / 30 minutes
x Emily
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