Sugar Cookies

Another Christmas has come and gone....boooo. It went by too quickly—I never had a chance to fully prepare. Next year, I resolve to avoid committing to too many big projects, so I have more time to realize the excitement of the season...definitely no more giant, sugary, baking trays.

One of my more enjoyable commitments was my annual Christmas party, and the search for worthy recipes. One recipe I had really hoped to find was cane-sugar free sugar cookies. I did find a few, and even tried one. But, it was a disaster, and so many others had such extensive ingredients lists, that I was instantly put off. So, I decided to try my hand at it. All I really wanted was for them to be sugar free (serious question: can a cane-sugar free sugar cookie still be called a sugar cookie?), but somehow they became gluten free too. I've recently become more and more conflicted about eating gluten, but that's an issue greater than this simple sugar cookie post...

Anyways, after a bit of tinkering, basing my recipe off of the Honey, Orange and Almond Shortbreads I made a few weeks ago, I got a cookie I was excited about. Coconut flour is my substitute for wheat flour, and consequently they are quite dry and excellent dunking cookies. Coconut flour also makes them incredibly fibrous—there's something like 39 grams of fiber in 100 grams of coconut flour...so don't eat too many of these at once, unless you're looking for a good cleanser.

I served these cookies at my party, and received nothing but positive feedback. So, unless my friends are liars, these cookies make a fine substitute for sugar...sugar cookies.

Sugar Cookies
(makes maybe...4 dozen or so cookies...I'll count next time)

Ingredients:

100 grams coconut flour
100 grams finely ground almonds
1/2 tsp (2.5 grams) baking powder
1/2 tsp (2.5 grams) fine sea salt

100 grams unsalted butter, soft
100 grams honey
1 tsp (5 grams) vanilla extract
1 egg (50 grams), room temperature

Instructions:

1. Sift together coconut flour, ground almonds, baking powder and fine sea salt. Set aside.
2. With a hand-hand mixer, beat butter until fluffy. Add honey, slightly beaten egg and vanilla. Beat until light.
3. Add flour mixture to wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
4. Divide dough into two discs and refrigerate at least an hour.
5. On a surface lightly dusted with coconut flour, roll and cut out cookies, using whatever sized portion of dough you find manageable, and whatever cutters strike your fancy.
6. Bake at 350F until just golden brown—about 8 minutes.