Cran-Ginger Cookies

Yes! I Said Cookies!

I had a couple friends over Saturday night and decided to have a couple snack-type foods to munch on as we had girl talk. It just so happens that one friend is a vegetarian and the other is vegan. Hmmm.. what the heck does that mean and how does that work with being Paleo?

Being a vegetarian you take on a plant-based lifestyle (fruits, vegetables, etc.), with or without the addition of dairy products or eggs, and with the elimination of meat (red meat, poultry, and seafood) - depending on your moral or health beliefs.

Being vegan is avoiding all consumption and sometimes the use of animal products. A stricter vegetarian is the most idiot-proof way to put it. This also depends on your moral and health beliefs.

Now, back to the question- how do these lifestyles work with Paleo? Easy! It’s about fresh ingredients and simple substitutions. I learned this weekend that 1/3 cup of unsweetened applesauce and one (1) tsp baking powder knocks out the use of one (1) egg and still tastes delicious!

Overall and no matter which way you look at it- these are healthy lifestyles. We talked about how people look at us like we are crazy (more looks go toward my vegan friend, actually) and ask questions like “where do you get your protein and calcium??” A little known fact, protein isn’t just in meat and calcium isn’t just in milk. When in doubt, do your research. 

Prep: 10 Minutes
Cook time: 15 - 20 minutes

Total: 25 - 30 minutes

Makes about 20 cookies

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 cups almond flour

1/2 cup almond butter

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup coconut oil (melted)  

1 egg (or sub 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce and 1 tsp baking powder)

1 Tbsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Combine all the ingredients above except for cranberries in a mixing bowl and mix well with your hand mixer (I used a whisk)

After your ingredients are mixed well, fold in your dried cranberries

Place small scoops of cookie mix on a parchment lined baking sheet leaving room between the cookies because they will expand slightly

Using the back of a spoon or your hand, slightly flatten the cookies (just an FYI- your cookie mix will be a tad sticky- your hands will get messy!)

[A bonus to using the egg substitute is being able to eat the cookie batter without eating raw eggs! :)]

Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until done (lightly browned on top)

Make sure you check them so you don’t burn them, some oven temps vary

Remove from the oven, place on a cooling rack or plate

Your cookies will be crispy after a couple minutes out of the oven - I put the cookies in an air tight container and they became soft from the moisture- they were still delicious! Make sure the cookies are completely cooled before storing. 

All the Best --

Enjoy!