Apparently I have volunteered myself for a HOLIDAY COOKIES Series. I’m not really sure how this happened amidst the last weeks before my manuscript for DOWN SOUTH PALEO is due, but I am trying to roll with it. I find baking sort of therapeutic and enjoy including my kids in the process. So maybe we should just refer to this “series” as Bake Therapy.
Yesterday I made these Grain Free “Sugar” Cookies {Egg + Nut Free} and they were a hit! Today my 3 year old and I decided to take on Gingerbread Men in a similar fashion – Gluten, Grain, Dairy, Nut, and Egg Free!! And yes, I am calling them Gingerbread Men, though you can easily add a skirt to them.
I am not sure which cookies to make next so if you have a favorite you NEED made grain free, feel free to leave your suggestion and I will let my crew of mini-chefs take a vote! I can’t promise we will get to them all but luckily I have some cookie lovers and since the sun goes down at lunchtime *sigh* we need fun activities to keep us occupied!!
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1/4 cup palm shortening
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 3 tablespoons local honey
- 1/2 teaspoon 100% vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
For the icing:
- 1/4 cup palm shortening
- 2 teaspoons coconut cream (separated top of coconut milk works also)
- 10 drops vanilla creme liquid stevia
- Preheat oven to 350
- Combine coconut milk, shortening, honey, and chia seeds in a blender and puree
- Combine all other ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir to combine
- You should be able to make a ball out of the dough, if it is too wet add a little more coconut flour
- Roll out the dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper until it is about 1/8 inch thin
- The thicker the cookie, the more sturdy and soft/chewy. The thinner, the more fragile, but the more crispy
- Once the dough is rolled out use a gingerbread man (or alternative shape) cookie cutter
- Repeat steps 5-7 until all the dough is used
- Bake on a parchment lined cookie sheet for 10-13 minutes, checking to be sure they do not burn
- Remove and allow to cool
- To make the icing combine the shortening, coconut cream, and stevia and pipe with a pastry bag or sandwich bag with cut tip to decorate your gingerbread men
Kris Connery says
How many does this make? Just so I can plan. I need to make 22 regular sized gingerbread men. ?
Thanks, kris
predominantlypaleo says
This recipe will make around 8-10 depending on thickness. To be safe, I’d triple it – you might have extras but better safe than sorry!
Cindy says
Well Jen (and mini-chefs), I’m thinking jam drop cookies….my mum used to make them. The biscuit was not too sweet, with a little bit of chew, and with mum’s hefty thumbprint in the middle filled with raspberry jam! Drool. I’ve got some Dalfours naturally sweetened jam which would be lovely on these
predominantlypaleo says
I have something similar that will be coming in not too long. They are called Hamantaschen and are jam filled “hat” cookies. You can look them up – sorta similar to thumbprint cookies!
Toni H. says
Wow, these look great! I wish you could come up with a cookie that had these traits (nut free, sugar free and egg free) but also have them dairy free…AND I can only have millet flour…. and so far olive oil and coconut oil are the only oils that I can handle so far. I am extremely limited because of some recent health issues and am not looking forward to this holiday season with everyone eating yummy treats without me! I am experimenting. But thought I’d put the challenge out there. 🙂
predominantlypaleo says
Hi Toni, these are nut free, refined sugar free, egg free, and dairy free. You can try coconut oil instead of palm shortening. Enjoy!
Emily says
Would butter work in place of palm shortening? I haven’t been able to find palm shortening in any stores around me.
predominantlypaleo says
It might! I don’t keep real butter in my home but it’s worth a shot for sure!
Candace says
Hi,
Would almond milk work in place of coconut milk? Or would it be too liquidy since almond milk is so much thinner?
predominantlypaleo says
It’s hard to say for sure. Try it with a little less almond milk until a ball of dough can be formed.