While I am busy working on a very exciting “project” (details posting on November 1st), I asked the VERY talented and EXTREMELY creative The Foodie Teen to share something extra special on Predominantly Paleo.  Well not only did she deliver, but she has seriously BLOWN me away….again! When I say that everything this lil lady creates is out of this world, I am not exaggerating.  Please please please go check her out and see her other incredible creations.  Her talent and experience far outweighs her years on this earth.  Now I will stop blabbing and let you admire Alessandra’s gorgeous (and spooky) photos and recipe, just in time for Halloween!!!! Take it away Alessandra!

Hi everyone! My name is Alessandra, and I’m the 16-year-old paleo and allergen-free food blogger behind The Foodie Teen! I have a passion for creating delicious food from simple, real ingredients without the grains, dairy, eggs, or soy, and I’m so excited to be sharing these fun, scary AIP Halloween cookies here today – thank you so much Jen!

Halloween should be a time when kids of all ages are able to enjoy a few treats, but as a ‘kid’ with food allergies myself (if being sixteen still counts?!), I know from experience how hard it can be to celebrate when you suffer from food intolerances. These cookies are not only a delicious grain-free, dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free AIP treat, they’re really fun to make and scare others with too!

I mean, really, who could turn down a bite of beheaded gingerbread man dripping in raspberry ‘blood’ or resist the temptation to gnaw on a gnarly witch’s finger, right?!

With just a few ingredients, the dough itself is really easy to make, but as it’s quite fragile due to the nature of the ingredients, I’d recommend you let kids help you decorate the cookies instead of baking them if they want to get involved! Feel free to be creative, too – gelatine gummies made in spider molds could be creeping up the fingers and they’d be great served with a gory green smoothie!

Thanks again to Jen for having me! Enjoy!

Recipe

For the Cookies:

1/2 cup coconut flour

5 tbsp + 1 tsp coconut oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/2 tbsp maple syrup or honey

For the Puree:

1 cup fresh raspberries (you can use frozen, too – just let them thaw in the fridge for a few hours first!)

1 tbsp maple syrup or honey

1. To make the cookie dough, combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine. It should eventually form a soft ball of dough. If making the gingerbread men, wrap the ball in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm up. If making the witch’s fingers, leave the dough at room temperature. Preheat the oven to 325F/160C and make the raspberry puree by combining the ingredients in a food processor or blender until completely smooth. Set the puree aside.

2. To make the severed gingerbread men, remove the dough from the fridge and place it on a piece of clingfilm generously dusted with arrowroot starch. Dust the ball of dough with arrowroot, then top with another piece of clingfilm. Roll out the dough between the clingfilm to 1/4 inch thick using a rolling pin, then use a gingerbread man cookie cutter to cut out a few men. Cut off the heads of the gingerbread men using a knife, then very, very carefully (the dough is quite prone to breaking), transfer the men to a lined baking tray using a spatula. Don’t worry if a few of the mens’ limbs are lost in the process – they’re supposed to be injured anyway and you can just spread some puree around the wounds later on to make it look intentional! Bake the men for 7-8 minutes, until golden brown, then let cool for 5-10 minutes before decorating with the puree and serving (or eating!) immediately. They really are best enjoyed straight from the oven as they lose their texture if they’re kept any longer. However, if you want to make them ahead of time for a party, you can place the tray of unbaked cookies covered with plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 24 hours, then bake and decorate them right before you need them!

3. To make the witch’s fingers (these require a bit more patience!), take a small portion of the dough about the size of a large Brussels sprout in your hands and very carefully roll into a 2-inch log. The dough is quite prone to breaking and cracking, so be very careful whilst you do this! Once you have rolled out the piece of dough, place it on a lined baking tray and with wetted hands, carefully attempt to shape a knuckle in the finger. Press down on one end of the finger to form a nail bed, then use a knife to cut stripes in the dough on the knuckles to look like wrinkles. Repeat these steps until all of the dough is used up, then bake for 7-8 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool 5 minutes, then spread the puree on the nail bed and top with a flaked almond to look like a fingernail (Avoid almonds if AIP)! Serve (or eat!) immediately. They really are best enjoyed straight from the oven as they lose their texture if they’re kept any longer. However, if you want to make them ahead of time for a party, you can place the tray of unbaked cookies covered with plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 24 hours, then bake and decorate them right before you need them!