Christmas is getting closer and closer, but you don’t feel like stuffing yourself with unhealthy Christmas cookies once again this year? Or maybe you just can’t tolerate gingerbread with plain flour? Maybe you want to surprise someone with a healthy goodies pack, and give something homemade?
Then this recipe is perfect for you! It’s one of 20 from my book, “Feels Great, Tastes Great, Christmas!” and, like all the recipes, it does not contain any flour, sugar or animal products.
RECIPE FOR RAW VEGAN GINGERBREAD CHRISTMAS COOKIES
Ingredients:
6 figs, soaked
fig soaking water
12 soaked, depitted dates
1 cup raw nuts, mixed (e.g. almonds and hazelnuts – walnuts and pecans are great as well)
1 orange, organic
1 lemon, organic
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves, ground*
1/4 tsp nutmeg, ground*
1/2 tsp allspice*
1 inch or more ginger, peeled or 1 tsp or more dried ginger powder
1 pinch sea salt
* You can also use a gingerbread spice mix or pumpkin spice mix instead of the individual spices
Preparation:
Cut off the hard stems of the figs, pit the dates if you have not done so already before soaking them.
Grind the nuts in your food processor or blender to crumbly flour. Do not over process, you will end up with nut butter.
Wash the orange and lemon with hot water, dry them and peel off their zest.
Add zest to nut flour.
Add spices, and finally the drained figs and dates.
Process until the dough starts clumping.
If your blender is not strong enough, you can also place the ground nuts in a bowl, then process the figs and dates by themselves and manually combine everything in the bowl.
The dough should be sticky without adding any soaking water but if you need to add some, keep it to a minimum.
Now you’ve got 2 OPTIONS;
1. no baking:
Wet your hands and shape balls out of the dough.
Roll the balls in coconut flakes, cacao powder or a blend of cinnamon and crumbed nuts.
Place the balls in paper cups and store in a cool place until serving.
2. baking:
Wet your hands, shape balls from the dough.
Flatten the balls into the shape of round gingerbread.
Place the cookies onto your dehydrator trays or baking trays (use parchment paper) and dehydrate them at 102 F over night. If using an oven, leave the door ajar with a wooden spoon to keep the temperature low. Still check especially in the beginning that the temperature does not rise up too high – the cookies will be done much sooner in that case!
Once the cookies are dry on the outside but still a bit moist on the inside, remove them from your dehydrator or oven and let them cool.
Frost them with chocolate or keep them as they are.
Store cool & dry in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
Notes:
C = cup, 240 ml
1/2 C = half a cup, 120 ml or / TBSP
1/4 C = quarter of a cup, 60 ml or 4 TBSP
TBSP = table spoon, 15 ml or 3 tsp
tsp = tea spoon, 5 ml
“soft dates” = medjool are usually best. If necessary, soak briefly and drain. The soaking water is super sweet by the way!