“Molasses” Spice Cookies
These cookies were inspired by Dorie Greenspan's delicious looking Molasses Spice Cookies which I saw in a recent Parade Magazine. I read Parade every weekend (it comes in our local paper), and I especially enjoy checking out the recipes in it and then renovating them for my gluten free higher protein desires.
Spice cookies are perfect for this time of year, a little zing and boost after the holidays and warming as well, which is nice given all of the cold spells we've been having here in Colorado.
1 ½ cups blanched almond flour
¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup grapeseed oil
¼ cup yacon syrup
- Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl
- Stir together wet ingredients in a smaller bowl
- Mix wet ingredients into dry
- Scoop onto the parchment paper
lined baking sheet one tablespoon at a time
- Bake at 350° for 8 minutes
- Cool and serve
For those wondering about my use of yacon syrup in this and other recipes, I have a section on my ingredients page regarding the benefits of Yacon syrup and the reasons I use it in place of molasses.
It's so nice to see food bloggers adapting recipes from The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook
Stay warm and have a spicy New Year!
Posted on January 5, 2010 in desserts by Elana
other entries you may like: Ginger Cookies
or Chocolate Chip Cookies with Yacon
or Chocolate Peanut Butter Tart
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Before you leave a comment...
"Check out Elana's FAQ page for info on substitutions -- there are just too many possibilities so she can't answer all of these : ) But the Forums are an excellent resource and I highly recommend posting your substitution questions there; everyone is friendly and helpful." -Katie
These sound delish and I'm especially glad they don't contain dairy or eggs! I am adding them to my list of things to try.
I'm going to make them right now! I've been working on updating my website all day and need a break. Luckily, I have all the ingredients on hand! Thanks, Elana!
My feedback:
My first change which was inadvertent which is what I get after baking late a night after a full day working. I misread the recipe and added 1 teaspoon of cinnamon instead of 1 teaspoon of ginger.
The second change came from the fact that I don't keep powdered ginger on hand, which I assumed that was what the recipe called for; however, I always have fresh, organic ginger. The recipe calls for 1 teaspoon, and since I was using fresh, I used 1/2 teaspoon of peeled, grated ginger.
I didn't know whether to press them down on the parchment paper before baking as Elana didn't mention it as she has in past cookie recipes. So I let them bake for about 8 minutes, then I pressed them down as they were still very soft.
This was the first time I've ever used yacon syrup and to me it tastes somewhat like molasses. It is definitely not as sweet as agave, honey, or maple syrup.
The cookies are deliciously spicy thanks to the fresh ginger and barely sweet. I think they taste yummy and, most importantly to me, I can eat them without fear of aftereffects that I sometimes get from agave.
I love finding new cookie recipes here. I just bought some yacon syrup to have on hand. Now I know why. I'm going to have some with a hot cup of chai tea. Thank you!
I was wondering what a good substitute for molasses cookies would be if one was not eating molasses - now I know! These sound delightful.
My husband loves molasses cookies, I will have to give these a try!
These look delicious!
Now I know what I'm doing tonight ;)
I have a bit of molasses left, so I'll be using that instead of the yacon syrup (which I don't have).
I love these cookies! Might have to make them myself! :)
I love Molasses cookies so I can't wait to try these.
FYI - the "print friendly" link doesn't include the ingredients.
Yes, please fix the printer friendly link - thanks! Love your recipes
Elana, how does the fat content of almond flour recipes compare to those using regular flour? These cookies look delish!
Malena,
Thanks for you comment. I discuss the fat content of almonds on my Why Almond Flour? page under the Health Benefits section.
There's also a FAQ regarding finding the nutrition content of ingredients in my recipes.
Hope this helps,
Elana
Looks like the printer friendly link is working again :-)
I made these for 5 little girls and my husband this afternoon. They are quick, easy and were a big hit! (even with the picky eaters!)
I did sub melted butter for the grapeseed oil and molasses for the yacon (didn't have them on hand). I upped the cinnamon, too.
They have a lovely chewy edge and softer middle.
Definitely will be making these again!
These look so good! I'm going to make them tonight I think, although with molasses, since I am trying to increase the amount of iron I'm getting, and blackstrap molasses is very rich in iron!
Just realized that yacon syrup is a great source of iron as well. I'll have to find some then!
Best to avoid agave:
http://www.foodrenegade.com/agave-nectar-good-or-bad/
not all agave nectar products are created equal... here's an article discussing the recent confusion over agave nectar and why some are different:
http://stanford.wellsphere.com/healthy-eating-article/madhava-s-craig-gerbore-responds-to-agave-nectar-controversy-here/584480
These look so delicious! Now I must get my hands on some yacon syrup!
What I just love about these recipes, is that if you keep basic staples on hand, these recipes can be whipped up in 10 minutes, easy. I just made these and they are incredible. Chewy, spiced, nutty and just the right amount of sweetness.
For those interested, I just did a 1:1 replacement of molasses for yacon syrup and they turned out tasty. I also used coconut oil for grapeseed and you can't taste it. HTH.
Thanks so much for blogging Elana. There is rarely a day I am not here checking on a recipe.
I just wanted to share a pear tart recipe that I made using your "Gluten-Free Pie Crust" recipe:
http://jensgonepaleo.blogspot.com/2010/01/paleo-pear-tart-wcoconut-cinnamon-crema.html
I absolutely LOVE your site and am working my way through all of the wonderful recipes in your cookbook! Thank you for providing such delicious recipes and food inspiration!
Elena: Do you ever post the nutritional information for any of your recipes, especially the calorie count? I would be very interested in knowing this. Thanks, Donna
Donna,
There's an FAQ on this:
http://www.elanaspantry.com/frequently-asked-questions/#4otheringredients
I just made these cookies and they are absolutely amazing - they tasted like something my grandmother bakes at Christmas time. Yacon syrup was way too expensive for the amount you get, so I decided to try organic barley malt syrup and added about a tablespoon of agave nectar. Wow they turned out great - I am so excited to take these and the herb crackers from your cookbook to the cabin with us this weekend.
Sara, I could never eat barley malt syrup or anything with barley malt in it because it is a gluten product. I'm assuming that you had no problem with this ingredient?
Yeah the barley malt was not an issue. The reason I started cooking this way was because my husband has a wheat sensitivity. The easy solution is to go gluten free, even though that includes more than just wheat gluten. He also has a sensitivity to molasses, so the barley malt was the perfect solution for us for this recipe. I've heard that rice syrup is a good substitute as well, but I have not tried it yet - maybe next.
Delish! I want one!
I'm new to your site and I already can tell that I'm going to love it.
I have one quick question. Your Molassas Spice cookies have Yacon Syrup in them. I plan to order some, but in the meantime what can I substitue? Agave Nectar?
Thanks so much,
Gail
i'm new to the site and hello from CANADA! i have been pouring over your site day and night and haven't turned my oven off for days. i've made a dozen loaves of your bread and those blondies omg i threw eating in moderation right out the window ;) my husband is celiac and no dairy and has loved every thing i've put in front of him that i've made off your site.you are an amazing person to share these recipes, i've ordered your book and can't wait to get my nutty little paws on it haha