Hello All!
I've been looking for an inexpensive gluten free cookie recipe--most have a million different flours in them, all hard to find and pricey. I finally found a recipe that incorporates cornmeal (which I love) and is also super easy to make. Oh, and it's dairy free, and really as cookies go, they're pretty darn healthy.
Here is the original recipe I found: http://peaseporridgepdx.wordpress.com/2011/05/06/cookie-monster-gluten-free-vegan-cornmeal-pistachio-thumbprints/
These are thumbprints, so there's jam in the center. Instead of making them thumbprints, though, I decided to instead incorporate prunes and dried cranberries into the cookies themselves. Also, while the original recipe calls for pistachios, I used raw sunflower seeds instead. (They have a milder flavor, but have a softness similar to pistachios.) I also like the flavor of lemon with cornmeal, so I added a bit of lemon extract to the mix, as well as vanilla. And I replaced the agave nectar with honey.
Here is my modified recipe.
Ingredients:
-1/2 cup rolled oats (gluten free)
-1/2 cup cornmeal
-1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
-1/4 cup prunes
-1/4 cup dried cranberries
-1/4 tsp salt
-1/4 cup olive oil
-1/4 cup honey
-dash of vanilla (optional)
-dash of lemon extract (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350ยบ.
Pulse in a food processor the first 6 ingredients until the mixture has a sandy consistency with small chunks of the dried fruit.
Mix in the olive oil and honey, and continue to process in the processor until everything is well-mixed.
Mold tablespoon-sized cookies and flatten in a cookie sheet. It will be a little crumbly, but be diligent and just make sure they stick before they go in the oven.
Bake 8 minutes, then turn the cookie sheet around and bake another 8 minutes or until the edges are browned.
Eat up!
They have a sort of shortbread consistency, and are soft and chewy. I'm looking forward to experimenting with other flavors (like rosemary and brown sugar instead of cranberries and honey). I encourage you to experiment too and let me know how it goes!
