Upon a first glance, these cookies are just like any other holiday cookie. Yet, we’ve made a few upgrades to this classic to make them more aligned with Ayurvedic principles. Naturally gluten free, made from almond flour, we’ve added in the adaptogenic herb, ashwagandha. The icing not only uses additional superfood herbal ingredients such as turmeric and moringa for natural coloring, but is made entirely plant-based using aqua faba from chickpeas instead of egg whites. Fragrant and flavorful and without compromise. Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS FOR COOKIES:
3 cups extra fine almond flour
½ cup cassava or arrowroot flour (and additional for rolling out cookies)
1-2 Tablespoon ashwagandha powder (optional)
1 Tablespoon ground ginger
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ cup unsulphured molasses
¼ cup ghee or coconut oil, softened at room temperature
1-2 Tablespoons of nut milk as needed
½ teaspoon salt
* fresh ground spices are always more fragrant and flavorful
INGREDIENTS FOR ICING:
1, 1lb bag powdered sugar (coconut sugar may also be ground finely and used instead)
Approximately ¼ cup aqua faba (the liquid from a drained can of chickpeas) ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
FOR COLORING:
Approximately 1 Tablespoon of each added to about ½ cup mixed icing:
Gold - Turmeric powder or juice
Red- Manjistha or Beetroot powder
Green- Moringa powder or chlorophyll
INSTRUCTIONS FOR COOKIE DOUGH:
Combine all dry ingredients and mix well. Add molasses, ghee or oil and mix well, adding nut milk as needed to create a firm dough that doesn’t crumble, but not too soft or tacky that it sticks to hands.
Once well mixed, form into a ball and cover with wax paper or wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
Once chilled, separate dough into equal portions. Keep one wrapped and chilled while you work with the first batch. Dust your working area with additional arrowroot or cassava flour and roll dough to approximately ¼-⅛ inch thick.
Using cookie cutters, cut shapes and transfer to a parchment-lined cookie sheet using a spatula. Repeat steps until you have used up your dough.
Bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to completely cool before decorating.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR ICING:
Add ¼ cup aqua faba and cream of tartar to a large mixing bowl. Using a standing or electric hand mixer whip until frothy, approximately 3-5 minutes.
Add about ½ of the powdered sugar and whip on medium high, adding more sugar to reach a glue-like consistency. If at any point you add too much sugar that your icing becomes dry and crumbly, simply add additional aqua faba. Once it reaches a glue-like consistency, continue to whip on high for 5-10 minutes until the mixture becomes fluffy and creates still peaks.
In separate bowls add herbs for coloring and about ½ cup of mixed icing to each bowl and mix well until you have achieved a uniform color. You can always add additional herbs to make coloring more intense, just be mindful of the herbal flavor.
Using frosting piping bags and decorating tips, spoon about ¼ - ½ cups of colored icing into piping bags and decorate fully cooled cookies as desired.
The icing will be completely firm when dried.
Follow this recipe, step by step, over on our Youtube Channel
INGREDIENTS FOR COOKIES:
3 cups extra fine almond flour
½ cup cassava or arrowroot flour (and additional for rolling out cookies)
1-2 Tablespoon ashwagandha powder (optional)
1 Tablespoon ground ginger
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ cup unsulphured molasses
¼ cup ghee or coconut oil, softened at room temperature
1-2 Tablespoons of nut milk as needed
½ teaspoon salt
* fresh ground spices are always more fragrant and flavorful
INGREDIENTS FOR ICING:
1, 1lb bag powdered sugar (coconut sugar may also be ground finely and used instead)
Approximately ¼ cup aqua faba (the liquid from a drained can of chickpeas) ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
FOR COLORING:
Approximately 1 Tablespoon of each added to about ½ cup mixed icing:
Gold - Turmeric powder or juice
Red- Manjistha or Beetroot powder
Green- Moringa powder or chlorophyll
INSTRUCTIONS FOR COOKIE DOUGH:
Combine all dry ingredients and mix well. Add molasses, ghee or oil and mix well, adding nut milk as needed to create a firm dough that doesn’t crumble, but not too soft or tacky that it sticks to hands.
Once well mixed, form into a ball and cover with wax paper or wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
Once chilled, separate dough into equal portions. Keep one wrapped and chilled while you work with the first batch. Dust your working area with additional arrowroot or cassava flour and roll dough to approximately ¼-⅛ inch thick.
Using cookie cutters, cut shapes and transfer to a parchment-lined cookie sheet using a spatula. Repeat steps until you have used up your dough.
Bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to completely cool before decorating.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR ICING:
Add ¼ cup aqua faba and cream of tartar to a large mixing bowl. Using a standing or electric hand mixer whip until frothy, approximately 3-5 minutes.
Add about ½ of the powdered sugar and whip on medium high, adding more sugar to reach a glue-like consistency. If at any point you add too much sugar that your icing becomes dry and crumbly, simply add additional aqua faba. Once it reaches a glue-like consistency, continue to whip on high for 5-10 minutes until the mixture becomes fluffy and creates still peaks.
In separate bowls add herbs for coloring and about ½ cup of mixed icing to each bowl and mix well until you have achieved a uniform color. You can always add additional herbs to make coloring more intense, just be mindful of the herbal flavor.
Using frosting piping bags and decorating tips, spoon about ¼ - ½ cups of colored icing into piping bags and decorate fully cooled cookies as desired.
The icing will be completely firm when dried.
Follow this recipe, step by step, over on our Youtube Channel
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