Snowball Cookies/Biscuits

I am a big fan of Desiree Nielsen, the Canadian dietitian who posts recipes and dietary advice on Instagram.  She also writes cookbooks, has a podcast, her own cooking show, and her own private practice.  Phew!  She is one busy, interesting and informative person.  

Her recipes are tasty and good for you too.  I came upon this gluten-free recipe of hers, and since I had the ingredients, I set to and made it before Christmas.  Her version is vegan as it uses coconut oil, but that's the devil's work, so I used butter!  Butter makes everything better, don't you know? :=)

Hope you all had a wonderful festive season.  We have had lots of storms and rain, and some flooding around the place.  All fine here now, but more rain on the way though.  Interesting news already this year with Prince Frederik about to become the King of Denmark.  Of course we Aussies feel invested in this, since the Queen-to-be is from Tasmania!       

Santa about to enjoy his biscuits/cookies

Makes 10-12:

ingredients:

100g./3.5 oz pecans, divided into 65g. and 35g. - so just divvy them up into 2/3 and 1/3 of the nuts

85g./3 oz (1 cup, says Desiree) almond meal, or meal of your choice - I used hazelnut 'cos it was in the fridge already

1 Tbs (15g.) arrowroot flour (aka tapioca flour)   see Notes

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3 Tbs (45g.) butter or coconut oil, melted

2 Tbs maple syrup (or syrup of your fancy)

2 tsp vanilla extract or paste

icing sugar, or coconut milk powder, or chocolate hail for rolling them when baked

Method:

On goes your oven to heat at 160C/325F

Line a baking tray with baking paper

Throw 2/3 of the pecans into your food processor and grind into powder

Finely chop (or do a very quick blitz in the processor) the rest of the pecans

Tip into a medium bowl with the nut meal, arrowroot, baking powder and salt - give it all a good mix

Add the butter, maple syrup and vanilla into the bowl, and give it another good mix

Use a tablespoon or ice cream scoop to grab up the dough, roll up into a ball and place on your baking paper-lined tray

Bake for 13-15 minutes (mine took 18) till lightly browned on the bottom and starting to crack on the top

Let 'em cool right down on the baking tray, then roll them in icing sugar (or cocoa powder?) or maybe in chocolate hail - not sure that it would stick but worth a go.  You could even drop them into melted chocolate, and then roll in chocolate hail (just don't tell Desiree)

Notes:

I didn't have any arrowroot flour, so I subbed in cornflour.  You can also use rice flour instead

stir everything in

here's your dough ready to go

onto the tray for baking at 160C/325F

let 'em cool right down

make sure Santa doesn't grab the lot for his Christmas treats :=)

c. Sherry M.