Gluten-Free Almond Spice Cookies for Martinmas!
Ali Segersten
This past evening we celebrated Martinmas, the day of St. Martin, with a lantern walk. My daughter's kindergarten class all made their own lanterns using watercolor paper and tissue paper. With their candles burning bright, we headed out into the cold, starry night to walk the wooded trails, singing our lantern songs. This time reminds us to bring light into the world at a time of year when the Earth is beginning to turn inward. We carry this light with us as we journey deeper into the colder, darker winter months.
Typically, the end of the lantern walk is celebrated with hot cider and sugar cookies cut into the shapes of stars and moons. Our kindergarten classes opted out of this part of the festivities this year but my other daughter's 3rd grade class will be needing a gluten-free, egg-free recipe to accommodate everyone in her class. So I created this recipe for the next lantern walk coming up in a few days.
This is another xanthan gum-free recipe. It is also egg-free and can be made dairy-free as well. I used organic butter in my test batches. To make this dairy-free and vegan, I would consider using Earth Balance buttery sticks in place of the butter. Another thing to note: You can use either organic cane sugar or coconut sugar in this recipe. If you use coconut sugar or Sucanat, be sure to give it a whirl in your Vitamix or coffee grinder to create a finer, more workable texture for cookies.
Almond Spice Cookies
These cookies are speckled with currants and have a hint of spice....a perfect pairing to a mug of hot apple cider on a cold starry night. I have kept the sugar to a minimum but you can add up to a ¼-cup more per batch if you feel like having a sweeter cookie. I grind my raw almonds in the dry container of my Vitamix, though a coffee grinder would work too. Make sure to grind them as finely as you can without turning them all into nut butter!
Dry Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- Combine all of the dry ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Whisk together well. You may need to use your hands to sift though and crumble any ground almond clumps. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl add the chia seeds and hot water. Immediately whisk together well.
- Then add applesauce, sugar, softened butter, vanilla, and almond flavoring. Beat together using an electric mixer.
- Add dry ingredients to wet and beat again or use a large spoon to combine ingredients. Fold in currants.
- Place dough onto a long piece of waxed paper. Gently form it into a 11 to 12-inch log (the dough will be soft) and roll the wax paper around it to help form the shape. Chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours or in the freezer for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove log from your fridge or freezer and place onto a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut into ½-inch rounds.
- Place cookies onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
- You can bake half of the batch and keep the other half of the log frozen until ready to bake.
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About the Author
Alissa Segersten, MS, CN
Alissa Segersten, MS, CN, is the founder of Nourishing Meals®, an online meal-planning membership with over 2000 nourishing recipes and tools to support dietary change and better health. As a functional nutritionist, professional recipe developer, and author of The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook, Nourishing Meals, and co-author of The Elimination Diet, she helps people overcome health challenges through food. A mother of five, Alissa understands the importance of creating nutrient-dense meals for the whole family. Rooted in science and deep nourishment, her work makes healthy eating accessible, empowering thousands to transform their well-being through food.Nourishing Meals Newsletter
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