Adaptogenic Gluten-free Gingerbread Men Cookies

These little festive treats are a classic that most enjoy at this time of year. But as cookies can be so addictive giving them a healthier spin means indulging in these sweet treats aren’t so taxing on the body. Going the gluten-free route isn’t just for those with sensitivities, but it can be better for digestion overall as gluten proteins are not the easiest for humans to digest.

Gluten proteins are highly resistant to protease enzymes that break down proteins in your digestive tract. This can trigger immune responses that can lead to conditions such as celiac disease.

Apart from going gluten-free, they are also stress free. Not only because they are super easy to make, but also because they contain adaptogenic mushrooms from Wunder Workshop. The Golden Shrooms powder contain Reishi, Cordyceps and Turmeric, which are all great for helping balancing out the bodies stress hormone responses. Isn’t that what cookies are for…to de-stress? Well, this one will help bring some bliss into your life.

Makes 8 -14 (depends on the size of your cookie cutters)

Ingredients:

1 cup/ 80g almond meal

1/3 cup/ 40g gluten free flour

1/4 cup/ 30g arrowroot powder

1/4 cup/ 40g coconut sugar

2 tsp Wunder Workshop’s Golden Shrooms

2-3 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp melted coconut oil

1 tbsp molasses

1 tbsp plant milk

For Icing:

1 cup icing sugar powder

1 tbsp water

Method:

1. In a small bowl mix together the dry ingredients using your hands; almond meal, gluten free flour, arrowroot powder, coconut sugar, golden shrooms powder, ground ginger and cinnamon.

2. Add in the melted coconut oil, molasses and plant milk. Mix together and combine to make one large dough ball. The dough will be short, meaning it tends to crumble but still sticks together if firmly pressed together.

3. Using a parchment paper, wrap the dough firmly, twisting the ends of the paper to seal and then place it in the freezer, for 15 mins to harden slightly. This makes it hold its shape better when it comes to cutting. You can also leave it in the fridge for up-to 3 days ahead of baking.

4. When you are ready to bake, take it out of the fridge or freezer. Pre-heat the oven to 170ºC.

5. To roll out the dough, place a sheet of parchment paper on your worktop and using a sieve, lightly dust with some arrowroot starch. Also dust the rolling pin.

6. Now you can roll out your dough moving from left to right, up and down to about 1 cm thick. If you dough crumbles, just press back together.

7. Use your desired cookie cutter sizes to cut you gingerbread men. Transfer onto a parchment paper-lined baking tray using a spatula.

8. With the remaining dough, form a tight dough ball again and then re-roll out, making sure to dust your parchment paper with a little arrowroot starch. Repeat this until all the dough is used up.

9. Cook the cookies on in the oven on 170ºC for 13 mins. You can do 2-3mins more or less time depending if you want a softer of hard cookie.

10. When they are baked, remove them from the oven, leaving them to cool on the baking tray for 3-5mins. This is because they are still soft so will crumble when you pick them up. After that time transfer them onto a cooling rack, by using a spatula or just sliding the parchment paper with them on top over to the cooling rack. Leave them for 30 mins and they will become firm and won’t crumble.

11. When they a cool, you can now decorate with icing sugar. To make the icing sugar thick enough to pipe, use 1 cup of icing sugar and add 1 tablespoon of water to mix it into a thick paste. If it is too running, just add more icing sugar and vis versa.

12. Decorate and leave the icing to cool down for 20 mins before eating or storing away. The icing sugar is not the firmest so it might smush a little if stacked on top of each other.

13. You can store these cookies in an airtight container for 2-4 days.