Friday, February 15, 2013

Almond Cookies with Cinnamon Glaze--SCD safe

Ahhh, cookies! Often, the perfect little snack to eat while settling in to a good book.

About a year ago, I was diagnosed with colitis, and dang if that nasty issue didn't resurface a few weeks ago. Strangely, it's turned out to be the explanation for life-long problems with MY FEET! Who would have thought? Apparently, colitis itself can cause inflammation in other parts of the body, creating arthritis in peripheral areas, like feet. And a seemingly innocuous brief bout with this winter's gastrointestinal bug triggered the colitis which makes my feet angry!

So, I decided to follow the lead of a number of other colitis sufferers and start to follow the strict guidelines of the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. And this recipe, avoiding all grain products and sugar, other than honey, is one outcome.

It's not the most wonderful recipe in the world, but it will do when there just has to be some kind of sweet treat (like for Valentine's Day!) *(edited to add: Actually, by the next day, I decided that these really were quite tasting after all! Especially with chai tea, and I really like the "nutty" texture because of the almond flour, and the tinge of coconut because of the coconut flour and sprinkling on top. I'll make these again, but increase the honey just slightly.)

Ingredients
Dough:
2 ½ cups almond flour (250 grams)
¼ cup coconut flour (35 grams)
2 teaspoons baking powder (8 grams)
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup macadamia nut oil (2 oz) or coconut oil
1 tablespoon honey, melted
1 teaspoon almond extract or vanilla
2 eggs

Glaze:
2 tablespoons honey, melted
1 tablespoon grass-fed butter melted, or ghee
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Combine your almond flour, coconut four, baking powder, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl and stir well
Add your oil, honey, almond extract (or vanilla) and eggs and mix into a soft dough
Roll your dough out, pressing to just shy of ½ inch thick all around
Cut with heart-shaped cookie cutters and lay on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
Place in the oven and bake for 9 minutes


While the cookies are baking, combine honey, butter, and cinnamon for the glaze in a bowl and mix well
At the 9 minute mark, pull your cookies out of the oven, and using a basting brush, brush your glaze on all of your cookies
Place your cookies back in the oven and bake for 9-11 minutes or until done


Remove from the oven, sprinkle with some almond flour or shredded coconut and drizzle any remaining glaze over your cookies. I like the contrast between the coconut and the cinnamon glaze.
Grab your camera and take some photos.
Serve immediately or place in an airtight container which will last 3-4 days

4 comments:

Nicki said...

All change seems so complicated and it never ceases to surprise me how one little thing can impact the whole. These actually sound tasty and your step-by-step photos are quite nice.

Maria C said...

Oh, my gosh! I'm going to make these! Since I've been cutting down/avoiding carbs, I'm on the quest for tasty treats like these! Perfect timing, Angela!

Maria C said...

Angela - The more I thought about this recipe, it looks like it came straight out of a Paleo cookbook. Are you following a Paleo program? I am making more and more Paleo recipes lately because they are delicious and have allowed me to cut back on carbs quite a bit.

Barb said...

Sorry to hear you are having those health issues again. The cookies look very interesting and since I am on a low cal diet I think I will also give them a try as I have been avoiding cookies altogether.