Christmas Treats for the Whole Family

Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies

Gluten, dairy and egg free and great for the whole family!

Ingredients:

• 100g almond meal
• 100g buckwheat flour
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
• ½ tsp. ground ginger
• ½ tsp. gluten free baking powder
• 50mL coconut oil, melted (you can also use olive or macadamia oil)
• 30mL almond milk
• ¼ cup maple syrup

Method:

1. Combine almond meal, buckwheat flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and baking powder in a medium size bowl.
2. In another bowl mix coconut oil, almond milk and maple syrup until well combined.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and create a dough. If the dough is a little too wet, add some more buckwheat flour or almond meal, if it’s too dry add a dash of almond milk.
4. Roll dough into a ball, wrap in baking paper and refrigerate for 45 mins.
5. Preheat oven to 150C 
6. Scoop out small handfuls and roll into a ball shape, place on a lined baking tray and flatten the top with a fork. If wanting to create shapes with a cookie cutter, place the dough between two sheets of baking paper and roll out to approx. 2-3 mm thick. Cut shapes with a cookie cutter and place on a lined baking tray.
7. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden.
8. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Store in an airtight container and consume within 3-5 days.

*For nut free just substitute almond meal for another gluten free flour and almond milk for another plant based milk

Chocolate Bark *

This recipe can be altered to suit a variety of tastes and needs – use dark, 75% cacao chocolate for an extra antioxidant boost, or use white chocolate if you prefer to make it more like a traditional white chocolate slice.

Ingredients:

• 250g dark 75% chocolate (or a different variety if you prefer)
• ½ cup cranberries
• ½ cup goji berries
• ½ cup dried apricots
• ¼ cup sunflower seeds
• ¼ cup pepitas

Method:

1. In a bowl over a saucepan of boiling water, melt the chocolate until it is completely lump free.
2. Remove from the heat and let it cool for a couple of minutes.
3. Mix dried fruit and seeds in a bowl until well combined, then add to the melted chocolate and stir through.
4. Pour the chocolate mixture onto a lined baking tray and put in the fridge to set.
5. Once set, roughly break up the chocolate into different sized pieces.

Store in an airtight container.

*Idea from The Healthy Foodie, cited on 6/1/2018, https://thehealthyfoodie.com/25-healthy-christmas...