Holiday cookies are a really big thing in my family. Every Christmas my mother and I bake something like a billion different sorts to give out to family and friends. One of my favourites is the hazelnut Linzer cookie, an extra crumbly and buttery cookie filled with raspberry jam. These cookies are pretty similar to that seasonal favourite but they are also loaded with coconut flavour: coconut flour and sugar make these holiday cookies delicious and flavourful, plus they are also gluten free. They are fairly easy to put together and make a great home-made gift. Coconut Linzer Cookies Ingredients ½ cup hazelnut meal 1 ½ cup coconut flour ½ tsp salt ½ tsp cinnamon ½ tsp ground ginger ½ tsp baking powder ¾ cup coconut sugar ½ cup butter (at room … [Read more...]
Hazelnut Baci di Dama
Christmas cookies are a must in my family. Every year my mum and I bake tons of cookies for friends, collegues and relatives: we make a variety of Italian and German cookies and back them in cute jars. Unfortunately sometimes there is just no time to bake 5 different varieties of cookies (thank you end of term exams!). Baci di Dama are a perfect solution for a last minute home-made Christmas gift: their are easy to make, delicous and the cutest! They are originally from the region of Piemonte in Northern Italy and are made with almonds ans dark chocolate. However this recipe uses milk chocolate and hazelnut instead (you can swap for any kind of chocolate for fun)! The dough is better when chilled overnight but one hour can be enugh if you are in a hurry! Recipe 1 stick butter … [Read more...]
Small Batch Pumpkin Cookie Dough Energy Bites (GF and Vegan)
Hands on those of you who love energy balls but who don't actually need that much energy to fuel their mid-morning coffee breaks! Either because you are sitting at a desk all day (i.e. me) or because you can easily get addicted to those delicious sweet bites (i.e. also me). However, we still energy to fuel our (supposedly) intense intellectual effort, just in smaller quantities. This recipe is my go-to snack for revision time: it comes together in five minutes, it's not excessively sweet and only makes enough bites to fuel your brain correctly! You can also double or tripe the recipe if you are not revising/working alone. Add in any extra ingredient you wish to (seeds and nuts are a good idea) and substitute coconut flour with almond/cashew powder to experiment a … [Read more...]
Chestnut, chocolate & pears cookies
Being Italian, eating chestnuts during the holidays is a must, whether it’s roasted chestnuts that I picked up in the woods with my family, chestnut paste on toast or chestnut flour in baked goods, I think that nutty sweet flavour just makes every food taste cosier! The combination of chocolate chip cookie (i.e. one of the cosiest food in the world) and chestnut taste absolutely awesome! Brown butter and pear just make everything more nutty and flavourful! Chestnut flour is naturally sweet so these cookies contain less sugar than most chocolate chip cookies, pears also keeps them chewy on the inside while the outside is nice and crispy. Inspired from the Top With Cinnamon Cookbook Recipe (makes 15 cookies) Ingredients 5 oz butter 1 cup chestnut flour ¾ cup + 2 … [Read more...]
Spritz Cookies With Sprinkles RecipeSpritz cookies with sprinkles recipe
The closer we get to Christmas, the more time I spend in the kitchen. I love baking up holiday treats for any occasion. Sometimes I gift them to friends or family, sometimes its just fun to whip up a batch of cookies with the kids. My favorite cookies are the ones that bring back memories of when I was younger. These spritz cookies do just that and are pretty tasty too! My grandma was always in the kitchen during the holidays. She was always cooking or baking or frying up something delicious. Ever since I can remember I was always right by her side. We fried zucchini together, we mixed homemade pasta sauce together and we made cookies together. Her absolute favorite was spritz cookies. They were (and still are!) so easy to make and the recipe makes a ton! I haven't had … [Read more...]
