Sesame gingersnaps for the post-holidays?
While there’s nothing wrong (morally, emotionally, etc.) with sugar consumption (HAS NO ONE TOLD YOU THIS BEFORE? I AM HERE TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT. YOU ARE NOT A BAD PERSON FOR EATING SUGAR. I 100% NEED YOU TO KNOW THIS NOW.), most especially during the season where we tend to celebrate holiday after holiday after holiday (after holiday after holidazeeee…), there can come a point when we may still be wanting those sweet tastes of the last season, but just kinda… pared down a bit. Like, maybe a bit of festive burn-out for the tastebuds. EXCEPT wait, but no, we still want those sweet treats KINDA!
Well. Let’s compromise, then. How about checking out which gratuitous sources of sugar we may be encountering that we may realize aren’t quite serving us? You know the ones. The sugar that just happens to be there. Like the candy bowl full of hard candies that are super nostalgic for your grandma, and try as you might to enjoy them in her honor, you just can’t quite mesh with them. And yet because there they are, on the table, for two months it seems, you still pop one into your mouth as you walk by, day in and day out.
Or, the fruit juice that is chilled in the fridge that you know doesn’t quite quench your thirst, but, my god, is it cold and refreshing at first sip. This is kind of how I felt when I got the hankering to make a batch of gingersnaps a few weeks ago. I felt very ready to love up on the honey within the cookie itself, but for whatever reason I just didn’t want to roll them in granulated sugar (I am a Monster with a capital “M”, I do realize this.)
Open sesame, I suppose.
Enter, the sesame seed. We all know there’s no fooling when sesame seeds happen to try to replace sugar, right? We’re instead just going for a very generalized inspiration here. But! Rolling these gingersnaps in sesame seeds and whisking them off into the oven sure does yield a wonderfully nutty smelling kitchen as they bake. Plus, what sesame seeds offer us from a nutritional standpoint I’d say is pretty fun: fiber (ohhh la la), loads of minerals (magnesium and iron especially) and quality protein, especially from a non-animal source (believe me, we’re not disparaging animals here. They know they’re protein-y). I mean, if we’re noshing on a dessert that just so happens to also keep our blood sugar levels fairly in regulation, and is like a nice, relaxing pat on the back from its magnesium load… well… these cookies sound downright kind, then.
What are the dishes along the sweeter side of things in the kitchen that bring you balance?
Sesame Gingersnaps
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup coconut oil (butter or ghee also work)
- 1/2 cup honey maple syrup also works
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups almond flour
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup white sesame seeds
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
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In a small bowl, combine the coconut oil, honey and eggs (or flax eggs) and whisk to combine.
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In a separate, large bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients (except the sesame seeds) and whisk to mix evenly.
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Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon until combined. Allow to sit for 3-5 minutes (the coconut flour will absorb the liquids during this time).
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Place the sesame seeds in a small, shallow bowl.
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Spoon out the cookie dough into dough balls, roughly 1-2 tablespoons in size each. Roll the dough between your hands to shape, then gently roll each formed cookie into the sesame seeds until evenly coated.
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Place 12 gingersnaps on each cookie tray--no need to flatten them, as they'll work that out as they bake.
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Bake the cookies for 12-16 minutes.
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Allow the cookies to cool on the tray for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. The gingersnaps will flatten as they cool.
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Store in a closed container.