Gingerbread cookies

The festive season is upon us . . . doesn't it come around so quickly! Right on schedule my girls have been asking for gingerbread biscuits or 'cookies', depending on your inclination . . but we've already had this discussion here :) This is our second batch for the month as they're a popular addition to the lunchbox as well as a hit with playdates! It's always a fun activity to get out the cookies to decorate as an after school activity :) 

We do tend to associate this recipe with Christmas, but I have been known to make them at other times of the year. I developed this recipe a few years back and have now not only adapted it for the TM, but I also mill whole grains for the recipe rather than purchase ready-made flour. This does give a slight grainy texture to the cookies which my girls are very used too, but if you are only in the early days of experimenting with 'healthier versions' on your children, you might like to start with half white, half whole grain flour. This recipe is inherently higher in dietary fibre due to the wholegrains and also lower in sugar than most gingerbread recipes. There is the option to grind your own cinnamon and cloves too if you purchase them whole these days. 

I use blackstrap molasses in this recipe which imparts a robust flavour as well as a deep brown pigmentation to the gingerbread. Molasses is the dark sticky syrup which is removed from cane sugar during the process of making refined white sugar. It is also a very good source of iron, calcium and a variety of other minerals. If you prefer a lighter-style gingerbread, golden syrup also works very well, or try half and half. Have fun!

Gingerbread cookies (oat & spelt)
makes 3 dozen medium-size cookies

ingredients
150g whole oats
350g whole spelt grains (or use wholegrain spelt flour)
100g unsalted butter, cut into chunks
100g rapadura (sucanat) or raw caster sugar
170g unsulphured blackstrap molasses (or golden syrup)
1 large egg
1/2 tsp bicarb soda
1 1/2 tsp ground dried ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon (or 2 cinnamon quills)
1/4 tsp ground cloves (3 whole cloves)
1/4 tsp salt 

method
Add whole oats and spelt grains to the TM bowl and grind into flour on speed 9 for 2 minutes. Decant the flour and set aside. You could also grind your own whole cinnamon and cloves at this step.

Add the butter, molasses and sucanat to the TM bowl and mix together for 1-2 minutes at 60°C on speed 2 or until the butter has melted. If you don't have unsalted butter, use salted butter and omit the 1/4 tsp salt. Add the egg and bicarb soda and mix on speed 3 for 10 seconds. 

Return the oat and spelt flour to the TM bowl with the ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt - I like to use Himalayan salt, which is pure, uncontaminated and unrefined. 

Set the lid to closed position and combine on interval speed for 30 seconds or until the ingredients just come together to form a stiff yet slightly sticky dough. You may need to add more flour here if your mixture is too sticky, particularly if you are using white spelt in place of wholegrain spelt. 

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface (or your Thermomat), then use Turbo pulse 1-2 times to clear any dough from under the blade. Shape the dough into a smooth disc and wrap up inside your Thermomat (or cover in plastic wrap) and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Don't be concerned that the dough is sticky, it will stiffen in the fridge. 

Preheat fan forced oven to 180°C. Roll out the dough to approximately 6mm thickness. Cut into your shapes of preference and place on lined baking trays. Press the dough scraps together and roll out again. My girls love to get involved here . . . we have accumulated a beautiful collection of cookie cutters over the years :)

Bake 10-12 minutes or until the cookies begin to brown a little on the edges. Cool slightly on the trays before transferring to a cooling rack. 

Once your cookies are cool, decorate with homemade royal icing if you like. I make my own icing sugar from raw sugar, hence the off-white colour of the icing which gives a lovely rustic, homemade touch to the cookies and sure beats loading my children up with corn syrup, artificial flavours, colours and an assortment of other additives you'll find in the commercial ready-made stuff! I use a piping bag with a small tip, but you could easily pop some icing in a small ziplock bag, cut of the very tip and let little fingers do the decorating :)


variations

• As mentioned above, for a lighter coloured cookie without the robust flavour of molasses, use golden syrup or half & half
• Use half white spelt flour and half wholegrain flour
• Use 100g of whole raw almonds in place of 100g wholegrain spelt if there are no nut allergies in your family
• I used this combination for the dry ingredients recently, which worked really well. Simply grind the almonds, spelt grains and oats first, set aside and return to the TM bowl with the white spelt flour at step 3. 
• 100g raw almonds
• 200g spelt grains
• 100g whole oats
• 200g white spelt flour

We love 100's & 1000's!

As a child I loved 100's and 1000's, and even though I make it my mission to fuel my little girls with nutrients rather than artificial chemicals, you've got to let your kids have some fun right?! So what better way to compromise than by giving them a wholesome cookie topped with a little of what they adore! Mummy's homemade goodies need to have an element of fun after all or they won't be back for more!


These biscuits remind me a little of chocolate digestive biscuits . . . that wholegrain crunchy texture with a layer of chocolate. Of course, it's much lovelier to bake your own additive-free version with 'real' chocolate rather than compound chocolate. These are perfect for the school lunchbox. They are nutritious, pretty and fun all wrapped into one biscuit! You could even serve them up at a children's birthday party.

Chocolate spelt and oat biscuits

100's & 1000's fun for the children . . .

. . . or simple & lovely with a cuppa!

ingredients

110g sucanat (rapadura) sugar
110g organic wholegrain oats
90g butter (or coconut oil), cut into chunks
1 large egg
20g desiccated coconut
110g wholemeal spelt flour
185g good quality dark (semi-sweet) chocolate, melted

method

1. Grind sucanat sugar for 3 seconds on speed 9. Decant into a small bowl. 
2. Add whole oats to the TM bowl and grind for 10 seconds on speed 9. Decant into a separate bowl to the sugar.
3. If using butter straight from the fridge, add to the TM bowl and soften for 40 seconds at 50°C on speed 4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Coconut oil will not require softening. 
4. Add ground sucanat and beat for 1 minute until smooth on speed 4, scrape down the sides of the bowl.
5. Add the egg and beat for a further 10 seconds, scrape the sides.
6. Return the ground oats to the TM bowl with the coconut and wholemeal spelt flour. Combine on reverse speed 4 for about 10 seconds until the mixture comes together. Don't worry if it is a little sticky. Remove biscuit dough and press together into a ball. 
7. Roll dough between two sheets of baking paper until 5-6mm thick. Carefully place on a tray in the fridge for 30 minutes.
8. Preheat oven to 180°C and prepare two oven trays with baking paper or silicon sheets.
9. Cut 7cm rounds or fluted rounds from the dough and place them about 2cm apart on trays. Press the scraps together and roll out again to make a total of 18-20 biscuits.
10. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes on trays before removing to a cooling rack.
11. Spread bases of biscuits with melted chocolate. Make a pattern with a fork if you like or sprinkle with 100's and 1000's. Stand at room temperature until set. Store in an airtight container, in the refrigerator if the weather is hot. 

no thermomix?
Grind your oats in a food processor or use a 50/50 mixture of porridge oats and oat flour. Cream the butter and sugar using an electric mixer, add your egg, mix again, then add your dry ingredients and mix until the dough comes together. 


variation

• use brown rice flour in place of the wholemeal spelt to make these wheat-free
• use coconut oil and dairy-free chocolate and make these dairy-free!
• spread with white chocolate instead of dark
• ice with royal icing instead of chocolate & decorate as you please :)
• try adding some cinnamon, plus dried fruit such as cranberries or currants at step 6 . . I might try this next time!

May 22, 2012 
Today I tried the cinnamon (1 tsp) + dried cranberries (60-70g) variation idea . . .

. . . and topped with white chocolate they are even more devine!

I chopped the dried cranberries using Turbo before I ground the sugar (step 1). Whatever you do, don't try the biscuit dough or you'll have a hard time stopping at one taste! I lurve this variation! 

 Find me on Facebook at Mixing it up in HK

Scrumptious spelt date scones!

These sweet, wholesome, high-fibre spelt & date scones are so soft, moist and yummy that they'll disappear within minutes of serving them up . . . this is the case at our place anyway! My family enjoys homemade scones for a lunch treat on a weekend. Sometimes I also make an extra batch to freeze and then send into school with my girls for lunch. These date scones are lovely split in two with a slice of tasty cheese inside . . yum!

Spelt & date scones with flax

ingredients

2 tbsp golden flaxseeds (or white chia)

120g filtered water

220g white spelt flour

220g wholemeal spelt flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 1/2 tbsp raw caster sugar
40g butter, cubed
100g dates, roughly chopped
160g natural yoghurt
160g milk

method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C and line two oven trays with baking paper.
2. Add golden flaxseed to TM bowl and grind for 20 seconds on speed 9. Decant into a small jug or bowl containing 120ml of water (6 tbsp). Whisk with a fork. The soluble fibre which you have released through grinding will absorb the water and turn the mixture into a gel.  
3. Add the dried dates to TM bowl and pulse 2-3 times until roughly chopped. Put aside.
4. Place the spelt flours, baking powder, sugar and butter into TM bowl and mix for approx 5 seconds on speed 8 until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
5. Add natural yoghurt, milk and the flaxseed gel mixture to the TM bowl and mix for 8 seconds on speed 5, or until the dough almost comes together.
6. Return the chopped dates to the TM bowl. 
7. Set dial to closed position and mix for 20 seconds on interval speed to form a soft, sticky dough. 
8. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and press into a disc shape. Divide into two equal portions and shape each piece into a disc of 2-3cm thickness. Slice each disc into six triangle wedges.
9. Carefully lift and place scones on the prepared tray. Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until slightly brown on top. Turn onto a wire rack to cool or serve in a large bowl wrapped in a clean tea towel. Best enjoyed fresh with a little butter, lemon butter or served with tasty cheese. 

variations

add a little extra flavour interest with cinnamon and/or mixed spice

add 1 tbsp finely chopped walnuts

use 50g oats in place of 50g of spelt flour

use 280-300g of buttermilk in place of the yoghurt and milk

No Thermomix?
Make the scones following your usual method for making scones. I would always use an electric mixer before I had my Thermomix. Or rub the butter into the dry ingredients using your fingers, then make a well in the flour and pour in your liquid ingredients. Mix until just combined. You should never overwork a scone dough, thats why the Thermomix is perfect. Less is more when it comes to making a successful scone.

Nutrition tid bit
The addition of flax provides not only a nutrient boost, but also functions as a fat substitute in this recipe, helping to impart a soft and moist texture. In fact, these scones are so moist that I enjoy them as is, without a lashing of butter.