Thought I'd share another quick cutout cookies recipe -- this time nut-free. I love the variations of the nutty cutouts very much of course, but sometimes you just gotta do something different. Plus with some new moose cookie cutters to be put to use here, what's a girl to do...
These are really simple, soft, and flavorful cookies. They're easy to put together and so pretty (the coconut manna makes these lighter colored and just delicate). The lemon flavor dominates, with ginger adding a lovely accent note.
The only thing I moose warn you about is that ... well, I'm pulling out the cliche of: "do as I say, not as I do" here. I used a very large moose cookie cutter (from this collection), and ended up with 3 large cookies + a few extra little "knobs", instead of say the 5-6 smaller cookies that this recipe could yield otherwise.
Because of the presence of coconut butter in this recipe, the cookies cannot bake as long as some of my other cutouts (coconut butter starts to golden up and burn quite quickly). As a result the cookie has a slightly softer consistency, which means it's not really sturdy enough for giant / delicate-limbed cookies. Whoops.
As you can see, my moose survived (well two of three did. The third was missing a leg shortly after the photo taking was over -- poor fella!). The point is, smaller cookies would be best / less fragile / easier to handle. And easier to gift in one piece too.
I also used the recipe to make some round cookies and it worked like a charm. These cookies would be great frosted, or unfrosted. I'm thinking coconut butter mixed with a bit of dairy-free milk and maple syrup for a frosting here would be quite lovely...
Total side note, but living in a forest for a few years, I've developed a real appreciation for these gentle majestic giants that somehow manage to be both graceful & awkward all at once. :)
Lemon Ginger Cutout Cookies
A soft, simple flavorful gluten-free cookie made without nuts. Easy to throw together, with a beautiful light lemon and slightly spiced ginger taste. Vegan.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 3 large cookies of 5-6 smaller ones
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Dessert
Ingredients
- 10 tbsp white rice flour (I used a finely ground one)
- 3 tbsp coconut butter (manna)
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp lemon extract
- ¼ tsp ginger
- 1/16 tsp salt
- optional: 1 teaspoon raw ground vanilla bean
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment and set aside.
- Process all ingredients in a food processor until the mixture begins to form a ball (note if the mixture is too sticky, add a bit more flour, if too dry, add a bit more maple syrup). Form the mixture into a ball with your hands and knead briefly, then flatten into a disk. Place the disk between two sheets of parchment paper on a flat surface and use a rolling pin to roll out into an ⅛" thickness. Use a cookie cutter to cut out as many cookies as you can -- transfer those onto the prepared cookie sheet (very carefully!). Gather remaining dough scraps, form into a ball, and repeat the process of rolling out and cutting out more cookies until you run out of dough.
- Bake in a pre-heated oven for approx 10 mins (they are ready when they begin to golden around the edges). Remove from oven and allow the cookies to cool a few minutes (they will firm up a bit as they cool off). Enjoy!
Belén says
Do you think this would work with cashew or almond butter? They look easy to make and so soft!
Audrey says
Hi Belén -- definitely, but the recipe needs to be modified a bit. You might want to just use this very similar but cashew butter-based recipe instead as the base: https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/ginger-fox-gluten-free-cookies-recipe/
Nadia says
They're so precious! Just like your hedgehog cookies :D They would make such a cute edible Christmas gift :)
Audrey says
Thanks Nadia. Yes, they make cute little gifts :)
Natalia says
Cute, so cute, Audrey! Thank you so much!
Audrey says
Thank you :)
Karen says
Audrey,
You mention the coconut butter tending to easily brown and burn, but there's no coconut butter in the recipe.
Audrey says
Hi Karen, oh my goodness -- thank you for pointing it out. I mistyped cashew (force of habit :S) instead of coconut, it's 3 tbsp of coconut butter in there. All fixed now.
Natalie | Feasting on Fruit says
We are going to have a cookie woodland forest scene going on here pretty soon! And it will be adorable and delicious :D Mr. Moose sounds like a delicious flavor even if he is not the sturdiest creature around. I find any cookie cutter with little legs or worse yet antlers to be a bit tricky, but I never mind eating up the pieces either :) Lemon + ginger + vanilla--I'd happily eat that cookie in any shape!
Audrey says
Hehe. I think my woodland scene is complete now -- fresh out of animal cookie cutters for the time being ?
Except I made some dinosaur cookies I'll have to share sometime... so maybe there'll be a prehistoric woodland follow up one day ?