Vegan Kids Nutrition

View Original

Vegan Cardamom Thumbprint Cookies

These simple and delicious cookies are the perfect holiday treat!

Have you ever had those Danish-style butter cookies that come assorted in a tin can? Oh man, they used to be my favorite holiday treat as a young girl.

See this content in the original post

This holiday season, I wanted to recreate those memories over a delicious vegan cookie…and perhaps some tea! These cookies have a similar texture of those favorite Danish cookies I once liked, only better flavor.

Cardamom is a spice I started cooking with just recently. I didn’t quite know how to use it or what to cook with it because I really wasn’t familiar with its taste or aroma. I've been experimenting with it more and more and now add it to flavor dishes any chance I get. Lately, I’ve been adding it to many dishes such as, oatmeal, curries, and cookies - such as these!

Cardamom is an aromatic spice that is native to southeast India. It has a very distinct aroma and it’s a versatile spice as it can be added to any sweet or savory dish. It actually pairs perfectly with coconut (to my discovery), which makes it a good addition to these thumbprint cookies.

Also, I recently started experimenting with millet flour - which I've included in this recipe. I had heard about it but never really saw it at my grocery store until I visited my local co-op. Millet is actually a seed-like grain that offers many good benefits. It offers a unique blend of vitamins and minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc, and B-Vitamins. Because I wanted my cookies to have some sort of nutritional value, I used a little amount of millet flour and also for color. Though these cookies are not 100% gluten-free, millet flour is a great alternative for gluten conscious consumers.

Have you experimented with millet flour or cardamom in your kitchen? Let me know in the comments below!

See this content in the original post

Vegan Cardamom Thumbprint Cookies

Serves: Makes about 13 - 15 cookies
Total Time: 28 – 36 minutes (prep + baking time)

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup

  • ½ teaspoon coconut extract

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • ¼ cup millet flour (or all purpose)

  • ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

  • ½ teaspoon jam (per cookie)

Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: coconut oil, maple syrup and coconut extract.

  2. Add the wet ingredients: all-purpose flour, millet flour (or all purpose), and cardamom and combine well (the dough will be a little dry but this is okay). Let dough rest uncovered for 10 – 15 minutes in the refrigerator.

  3. Preheat oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

  4. Shape dough into small balls, about 1 tablespoon each, and then make a small indentation with your thumb or index finger in each cookie (it’s okay if they’re not perfect!).

  5. Fill each cookie with ¼ - ½ teaspoon of your favorite jam (mine was strawberry rhubarb jam).

  6. Bake in oven for about 10 – 13 minutes or until lightly golden brown.