Paleo Anzac Cookies

These are an amazing, healthier version of a good old traditional Aussie favourite. Completely grain and dairy free, this version keeps the coconut buttery goodness of a traditional Anzac but replaces the white sugar and flour with nuts and honey or maple syrup. YUM!

Vegan, dairy -, gluten-, refined sugar & grain-free

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

·       1 cup unsweetened desiccated coconut

·       1 cup almond meal

·       1 cup walnuts, finely chopped

Wet ingredients

·       ¼ cup coconut oil, semi form (if melted, you may need a little more than ¼ cup)

·       ¼ cup honey or maple syrup

·       1 tsp baking powder

·       2-3 tsp water

Method

Preheat oven to 120 deg C (note lower temp than normal – too high and these cookies will burn before they’re ready- this is a case of go low and slow)

Line tray with baking paper or silicon baking sheets

In a large mixing bowl add all the dry ingredients and mix well. Set aside

Place coconut oil & honey/maple syrup in a small saucepan and melt. Watch it doesn’t bubble over. Take off heat and add baking powder and water, stirring until it foams and turns a whitish colour.

Pour this wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until well combined. You may need to add a little more water until it comes together. You should be able to press the mixture together and not have it crumble.

Use a tablespoon and place balls of mixture onto the tray. Flatten slightly- you can also firm up the edges where they crack if you like.

Place tray in oven and bake for approximately 12-15 minutes before checking – if your cookies are thin, this will be enough to make them firm, otherwise you may need another 5-8 minutes. You want them golden brown on top (white is not cooked enough) but not black on the edges.

These taste awesome warm out of the oven but the flavours intensify if cooled and eaten the next day!

Nourishing Notes:

·       Chop the nuts as finely as you can but you can leave some larger chunks. Too many big chunks and the bikkies will fall apart

·       Measuring coconut oil solid or melted makes a difference to the final volume so important to note what you use. Solid coconut oil will take up less volume than melted so keep this in mind when baking.

·       How flat you make them will determine how long you need to bake them for and how soft & chewy they are after baking – these cookies won’t flatten much themselves during baking so how you put them in tends to be how they’ll stay. This is personal preference!

·       Store in baking tin or container in the fridge.

Credit to The Merrymaker Sisters for the original recipe.