A new twist on an old holiday favorite. . . I took this classic recipe and made it my own. If you want to take some of your favorite recipes, especially those you loved as a child, and make a healthier option that is gluten-free, dairy-free and GMO-free, use this post to learn how. It is a matter of making the correct substitutions.
Hazelnut Thumbprint Cookies
- 1-3/4 cups organic white rice flour or brown rice flour
- 1/4 cup organic tapioca flour
- 1 cup hazelnuts, ground (organic if possible) plus extra for dipping
- 2 tsp. baking powder (this brand does not contain corn)
- 1/4 tsp. Himalayan salt
- 1/2 cup melted grass fed butter, ghee, or organic coconut oil
- 1/3 cup orange juice, squeezed from organic orange
- 1/3 cup organic (real) maple syrup
- 1-1/2 tsp. almond extract
- 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract (gluten-free)
- raspberry, blueberry or apricot preserves
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine flours, ground hazelnuts, baking powder, and salt in mixing bowl.
In a separate bowl, mix butter (ghee or oil), juice, syrup, and almond and vanilla extracts together. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix well, kneading a little if necessary.
Use tablespoon to scoop dough and form into balls. Dip balls into extra ground hazelnut and flatten into circles with your palm. Place on lightly oiled or parchment-lined cookie sheet, hazelnut side up. Indent each cookie with your thumb and put 1/2 tsp. preserves in the imprint.
Bake 15 minutes or until edges turn golden. Yields two dozen cookies.
This article was written by Sharon Harmon, founder of Life Design for Health. As a “Health Designer” she has a passion for helping people find their way back to optimum health. Please contact her if you would like to know more. There is a great deal of health-related information in her blog articles and on her website. Including additional suggested resources (books and articles) by topic, a pantry list that is gluten-free, dairy free and GMO-free, and a healing foods list.