Spiced Orange Ginger Graham Cookies (Grain Free)

I made these on a whim as a last minute attempt at making Christmas cookies, since until this past Sunday, the thought hadn’t even crossed my mind as a realistic option. For some reason, this December has seemed much more busy than most, even though we had less gift shopping to do (we decided to do Secret Santa with hubby’s family). More parties and get-togethers I guess.

These were such on a whim that I already had my Christmas post scheduled for tomorrow, Christmas Eve (keep a look out for that!), but I just had to post these in case you still have time to whip up some extra cookies for the Holidays, hence the rare Monday post.

Not surprisingly, in true Tiffany fashion, I couldn’t simply follow a recipe, I HAD to make it my own. They’re dry and crumbly, great with hot tea!

Without further ado, here is my recipe for (Grain Free) Spiced Orange Ginger Graham Cookies.

SPICED ORANGE GINGER GRAHAM COOKIES (GRAIN FREE)

Makes 4 Dozen

Adapted from Detoxinista’s Grain Free Ginger Cookies

Ingredients

4 cups brown rice flour (or coconut/almond)

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

1/2 cup pure maple syrup (like this one)

1/2 cup honey

1/3 cup molasses

1 medium orange, juiced and zested (approx. 4 tablespoons)

2 eggs (organic and pastured preferred)

2 1/2 tablespoons (or 8 teaspoons) ground ginger

2 tablespoons ground allspice

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

 sugar for topping (like coconut palm sugar or sucanat) (optional)

Preparation

Beat wet ingredients together in a large bowl, then add dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Dough will be crumbly.  Refrigerate for at least thirty minutes.

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Meanwhile, scoop out dough by the tablespoonful, roll into balls then flatten each by placing a ball in the palm of one hand and use the palm of the other to squish into a disc.  Place discs onto a baking sheet lined with a baking mat or parchment paper (I fit 24 on each of my standard baking sheets). If desired, top each with a sprinkling of sugar.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, until edges begin to brown. Cool cookies on pans for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Recipe: Raw Pumpkin “Cheese” Cake

One of my go-to healthy desserts turned any time snack is this Raw Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake I found on Rawified.  Now for anyone not into eating raw, be forewarned, this is not your typical cheesecake.  In fact, there is no cheese.  But, don’t stray either, my cheese loving husband enjoys this dessert too, just don’t call it a cheesecake.  Call it a delicious concoction of yummy goodness!

I usually do make mine pretty close to the original recipe, with lemon filling and a berry topping.  Turns out this weekend I didn’t have any lemons or berries.  But I did have a few oranges I got from work and some pumpkin puree.

Raw Pumpkin “Cheese” Cake
 
Adapted from Rawified
 
Crust Ingredients
1 cup raw walnuts
1/2 cup raw almonds
2 tbsp honey
1-2 tbsp water

Filling Ingredients
2 cups raw cashews
1/4 cup raw honey or agave
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted but not hot
 2 oranges, zested and juiced
1-2 tbsp water

Topping Ingredients
1 cup pumpkin puree
2-3 tbsp honey, to taste
2 tbsp soy milk (almond or other alternative milk is fine too)
2 tbsp coconut oil, melted but not hot
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
 

Preparation
For the crust: put the walnuts and almonds into your food processor and grind well.  Add the honey and about1 to 2 tbsp of water to make a workable dough.  Line an 8 inch diameter cake pan or glass baking dish with plastic wrap then grease with coconut oil – this keeps the cheesecake from sticking to the pan if you decide take it out later (I don’t take it out, I use a square glass baking dish and just cut out pieces as I go).  Press the nut mixture into the pan to form the crust and place in the freezer to set while you make the filling.

For the filling: grind up the cashews in the food processor until a flour like consistency is reached.  Add the honey, coconut oil, orange juice and zest, along with 1 or 2 tbsp of water then blend until smooth and creamy.  Take your crust out of the freezer and spread the cheesecake filling on top of it using a spatula.  Place back in the freezer to set while you make the topping.

Using your food processor, puree the pumpkin puree, honey, soy milk, coconut oil and pumpkin pie spice until slightly melted and at a smooth consistency.  Again, take out your cake pan and pour the pumpkin sauce on top of the cheesecake filling.  Let the cheesecake set for about an hour or two in the freezer, then move to the fridge for storing before serving.
 
Note: I don’t clean the food processor between each layer, I just make sure to get as much as I can out before I start the next layer.

New Product: Custom Monogram Cards

I am so excited to share my new design with you! I’ve been contemplating and working on monogram cards for quite awhile now, and finally think it’s time for their debut.

These are customizable, so any letter A-Z is available!  The two styles showcased above are currently the only offerings, however, if they receive positive feedback, I will be creating more with different patterned papers, and possibly some new styles.

They’re available for sale in my online shop, Tiffany Lane Creations, and currently sold individually, but if you need more or would like a gift set, let me know. Click for direct access to the Blue & Orange Custom Monogram Card and the Rose & Tan Custom Monogram Card.

What do you think?  Feedback is more than welcome!