I will be honest, I have always had a sweet tooth, especially around the holidays. I love baking, especially around the holidays. And, I of course will bake up the classic sugar and ginger bread cookies with my four kids sometimes multiple times but sometimes I need something sweet around the holidays that is holiday-like but not the usual suspect, something I can keep around the kitchen and not get tired of. Something perfect for afternoon tea, which I have been doing a lot of as of late. I have been enjoying Almond Matcha.

And Forgiveness a Pu-erh tea, of which the polysacchrides have been shown to reduce blood sugar and prevent type 2 diabetes, according to studies done in China . I have shared this before, although I am not diabetic or even pre-diabetic my tendency is for my blood sugar to run high and so I am very mindful about sugar intake, (including alternative sweeteners) and my diet and using holistic modalities, i.e. teas and supplements to help my body function better. This is also the reason I bake and cook with little to no sugar in my recipes. And although these little cookies contain dates, only 1/4 cup, each cookie has less than 2 grams of sugar, of which non of it is from refined sugars. Cozy up by a fire, with a little plate of these little guys, a cup of your favorite tea and a good book or movie. With everything slowing down for the holidays and more stay at home orders, we have got nothing but time on our hands. By the way, these cookies taste great year round. If you are a fan of shortbread cookies, you will probably enjoy these.

Makes about 24-25 cookies / Prep time 15 minutes / Wait time 1 hour / Bake time 20-25 minutes / Total time 1 hour 40 minutes

Gather

1/2 cup/ about 64 grams shelled raw pistachios, chopped coarsely ( set aside 2 tablespoons)

2 cups/ about 254 grams Paleo flour

1/3 cup/ about 43 grams pistachio flour (if unavailable, you can substitute with almond flour)

1/4 cup/ about 32 grams monk fruit sweetener

1/4 cup/ about 32 grams plus 1/2 tablespoon coconut sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

Zest of one lemon or orange ( I prefer lemon zest)

1/4 cup/ about 32 grams roughly chopped dates

3/4 teaspoon cardamom powder

1 cup/ about 128 grams vegan butter (I use Meltorganic), cut into small cubes

Make

In a medium bowl place the chopped pistachios ( set aside the 2 tablespoons chopped pistachios for later), paleo flour,  pistachio flour,  monk fruit sweetener, 1/4 cup  coconut sugar (set aside the 1/2 tablespoon for later), salt, zest, dates, and cardamom powder. Stir gently till just mixed. Add the cold pieces of vegan butter. Using your fingers and hands, blend the butter into the mixture and then knead until the dough slowly comes together. Don’t over blend. Knead it until you have a nice smooth dough.

Divide the dough into two pieces and using your hands roll them into two log shapes, about 1/12 to 2 inches in diameter. Roll them each, individually into two pieces of parchment paper. Place them into the fridge for one hour until the dough is firm. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F/ 163 degrees C. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. After an hour remove the chilled dough from the fridge. Take off the parchment paper and cut the logs with a sharp knife, into 1/4-inch discs and place them onto the baking sheet, spread about 2 inches apart. 

In a small bowl mix together the remaining 2 tablespoons chopped pistachios and 1/2 tablespoon coconut sugar. Sprinkle the mixture evenly amongst the cookie dough and bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking tray and then transfer to a cooling rack or plate. These keep on the counter in an airtight container for up to a week.

Developed by Kat Howell and Anna Getty of Amalgam Kitchen.

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