Hope you are warm and cozy and enjoying the Christmas season!
Today's craft is something I am quite sure we have all done before: paper snowflakes!
Now, before you feel indignant about the simplicity (I can almost hear some of what some of you are thinking !!!!!!) I would like to point out that I have selected 3 videos that give exquisite tutorials in how to make a notch-up on the snowflakes we cut out in second grade!
Take a look. There is no voice in these particular videos which might be a good thing, since sometimes differences in pronunciation can distract and throw off auditory learners. In these videos it is highly possible that the women do NOT speak English. They very ably show how the snowflake is done using only their hands and visual cues.
So, get your paper and scissors and give it a try! (Don't forget to come back for the cookie recipe!)
There you go! Kind of a nice meditation, eh?
If you would like to share any of your creations through the process of these craft and cookie sessions, just let me know below in the comments (you can call yourself "Anonymous" if you want) and we can arrange to have you show your work on here with a photo! I'd love that!
WALNUT-GINGERBREAD COOKIES
Today's cook is a milder, sweeter sort of ginger-bread (bread without flour, of course!) This cookie is not only gluten-free, and dairy-free, but I have replaced the original egg in the recipe with a flax egg, so it is another gluten-free, vegan cookieThere you go! Kind of a nice meditation, eh?If you would like to share any of your creations through the process of these craft and cookie sessions, just let me know below in the comments (you can call yourself "Anonymous" if you want) and we can arrange to have you show your work on here with a photo! I'd love that!
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups of walnuts
1 cup coconut flour
1 3/4 cup baking soda
3 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 cup coconut oil (melted)
1 flax egg (make ahead: 1 T. ground flax whisked up in 3 T. warm water)
1 cup coconut sugar
2 T. molasses
METHOD:
PRESET the oven to 350F/177C
Prepare the cookie sheets with parchment paper to fit.
I made mine up entirely in the food processor, as I show below (mainly to save dirty dishes) but you can do it in the traditional way by
1- processing the walnuts (as shown below)
2- mix together the walnut "meal/flour" with the coconut flour, baking soda, and spices.
3- mix the 'wet' oil/"egg" ingredients in with the coconut sugar,
4- combine the walnut mix with the oil/"egg"/sugar mix. Finally, mix in the molasses.
5- put the mix in the fridge for 10+ minutes
6-Drop the cookies by the tablespoon-full on the sheet
7-Put in the oven and bake for 12-16 minutes (depending on how hot your oven operates)
1 1/2 cups of walnuts
1 cup coconut flour
1 3/4 cup baking soda
3 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 cup coconut oil (melted)
1 flax egg (make ahead: 1 T. ground flax whisked up in 3 T. warm water)
1 cup coconut sugar
2 T. molasses
METHOD:
PRESET the oven to 350F/177C
Prepare the cookie sheets with parchment paper to fit.
I made mine up entirely in the food processor, as I show below (mainly to save dirty dishes) but you can do it in the traditional way by
1- processing the walnuts (as shown below)
2- mix together the walnut "meal/flour" with the coconut flour, baking soda, and spices.
3- mix the 'wet' oil/"egg" ingredients in with the coconut sugar,
4- combine the walnut mix with the oil/"egg"/sugar mix. Finally, mix in the molasses.
5- put the mix in the fridge for 10+ minutes
6-Drop the cookies by the tablespoon-full on the sheet
7-Put in the oven and bake for 12-16 minutes (depending on how hot your oven operates)
FOOD PRCESSOR METHOD
1. Add 1 1/2 cups of walnuts to the food processor
. 2. Pulse the walnuts several times until they are finely chopped, but not until they have turned into walnut butter! I think of it more as walnut "meal" rather than "flour". Walnuts are HIGH in omega 3
fatty acids.
3. Add in the coconut flour, baking soda, ginger, and cinnamon and pulse until blended (maybe 6 pulses).
4. Add in the melted coconut oil, sugar, and the "flax egg" Pulse again until blended.
5. Last, add in the molasses, and pulse maybe 3 or 4 times to mix.
6. The batter will look like this-- a more or less homogenous blend with walnut "dots"
7. Put the dough in the fridge to meld for about 10-15 minutes. Remove. Drop tablespoons-full balls on a sheet about 1-2 " apart, and flatten. My cookies were quite chunky. You may want to press yours out somewhat more to have a more standard sort of ginger snap thickness.
8. Bake the cookies for 12-16 minutes, depending on the hotness of your oven. They will scorch pretty quickly, so watch them at this stage. Remove with a turner to a rack for cooling. They will crisp up as they cool. They were crispy on the outside and softer on the inside-- perfect, I think
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