Coconut Flour Shortbread Cookies

For Purim, I made these Coconut Flour Shortbread Cookies with the leftover coconut flour from Passover.

These cookies are endlessly adaptable.

If you like citrus, they can be jazzed up with lemon, lime or orange zest.

If you want to make a fancy presentation, you could dip them in chocolate and add toasted coconut, nuts or sprinkles.

They can be made with almost “flour” — wheat, quinoa, banana, almond, or gluten free flour blend of your choice or starch such as tapioca or potato.

They are perfect for Passover or for anyone on a gluten free or nut free diet.

Coconut Flour Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup coconut flour

1 cup “flour” — wheat/quinoa/banana/almond/tapioca starch/potato starch, or gluten free blend of your choice

1 1/2 cups sugar.

Optional: If you it less sweet, you can use only 1 cup of sugar.

1 cup oil

4 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional: 1 teaspoon almond extract

Optional: 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Optional: lemon, lime or orange zest

Instructions:

Food processor: mix oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract.  Add the dry ingredients and process until it forms into a dough.

I usually try to mix the wet ingredients first and then add the dry ingredients to prevent over mixing.

Let the dough rest for a few minutes. Coconut flour is very absorbent.

Shape dough into balls with slightly wet hands to prevent sticking and create a smooth shape.

Place onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. I find that my cookies are less likely to burn with a double insulated cookie sheet.

Flatten dough with a fork using a crisscross pattern. To prevent dough from sticking to the fork, dip the fork into water. It really helps!

Bake in preheated 400*F oven for 8-12 minutes, and the bottoms are slightly browned.

Cool slightly while still on the cookie sheet and then let cool completely on wire racks.

Just before baking in the over. I used a silpat and double insulated baking sheets.

Final outcome.

Coconut flour is different than wheat flour. But, I am happy to say that most people really liked them. The proof is that I brought them to our Purim seuda (festive meal) and they were all eaten. I consider that to be a ringing endorsement.

Enjoy!

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Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Last year for Passover, I bought all these unusual flours that were kosher for Passover for the first time. I bought banana flour, quinoa flour and coconut flour.

I made a few things with them, with mixed reviews.

The consensus seems to be that the end results were no better than the traditional alternative “flours” like potato starch, tapioca starch, ground nuts and matzah meal.

Tonight is the holiday of Purim.  What this also means is that Passover is around the corner.

I still have so much leftover flours from last year. I couldn’t let them go to waste.

This holiday provides a unique opportunity to be creative. I thought: “why not bake cookies with the gluten-free flours from Passover to give away for my Mishloach Manot (Food to Friends.)??

Voila! Chocolate Chips Cookies with banana flour.

For a wonderful and funny explanation of Purim, please go read what Dolly wrote over at koolkosherkitchen.  Raizel and I really enjoyed it. Check it out!

 

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 ½  cups banana flour
2 cups rolled oats

Passover adaption: omit and add nuts, if desired.
1 ½  cup brown sugar
½  cup white sugar
1 cup oil
2 large egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

9 oz. chocolate chips

 

Instructions

Food processor: mix oil, sugars, eggs, and vanilla. Add banana flour, oatmeal, baking soda, and salt until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips. (If you want, you can stir in the oatmeal with the chocolate chips, but I did not).

Drop or shape dough using a teaspoon onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake in 350*F oven for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Cool slightly while still on the cookie sheet and then let cool completely on wire racks.

I must have been tired by the time I made these. Unfortunately, I only have one picture of the final product:

Raizel thought that they were really good. My husband unfortunately thought that they tasted “passadik” (like Passover food.) I say, “that’s the way the cookie crumbles.”

Today, there are more and more people who are gluten free. I think that these cookies are a great way to accommodate people on such a special diet.

Enjoy!

Happy Purim 🎭

Onion Kugelettes

Onion Kugelettes

I am continuing to explore creative ways to use up leftover bread. This recipe is another adaption of my challah kugel. Somehow, once I start something, I keep pursuing it until I master the concept.

The beauty of this recipe is in its simplicity: it has minimal ingredients, and also very little sugar. Somehow, when it’s not too sweet, it feels healthier.

I really like my mother’s suggestion to bake them as cupcakes. Cupcakes cook more quickly, require less fuss when eating and improve portion control. Plus, with cupcake liners, it’s easier to clean up the pan afterwards as well. It’s a win-win for everyone.

This recipe is also very accomodating. Since I am time challenged, I find it helpful to prepare the kugel in the morning and then bake it once I get home from work in the evening.

Ingredients:

16 oz. challah

Variations:  I have not tried it yet, but, try substituting crushed matzah or rice instead of bread.

3 cups water

3 onions (or more) diced, about 2 cups

3 eggs

4 tablespoons oil

½ teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 teaspoon garlic powder, or to taste

½ – 1 teaspoon onion powder, or to taste

½ teaspoon pepper, or to taste

Optional: 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon sugar, to taste

Optional: 2 tablespoons of poppy seeds

Please note: The amount of spices depends on the bread. Since challah is relatively sweet, less sugar is required.

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350* F.

Saute onions until caramelized. Crumble or break up challah (or matzah or rice) into small pieces into bowl.

Combine water and pour over challah. Mix until challah is soft, but not too mushy. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Pour into cupcake pans lined with cupcake holders. Bake for approximately 1 hour or until done.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Sauteing the onions.

Adding the cubed bread.

This time I added poppy seeds.

mixing the bread, onions and water.

Ready to be put in the oven.

Fresh and hot right out of the oven!

 

Even though it has onions, and they are not very sweet, Yaffa and Raizel have been known to  eat them for breakfast too! Simple and good!

Enjoy!