Cookies Archives - Impressions

Healthier Holiday Cookie

December 7, 2018March 25, 2020 Rachel Sherwood

Snow is on the ground and lights are on the trees. I just love this time of year especially now that I share it with two little ones at home. I love to invite kids in the kitchen to cook. Baking is one of the easiest ways to get them involved as they are usually excited to be the official taste testers of your finished products.

Making cookies with kids is healthy, fun and rewarding.

With it being holiday season and the over abundance of sweet treats I am always on the lookout for healthier options. This is a cookie I created 2 years ago in need of a cookie that my son could eat with everyone else and not have to have a “special cookie”. This healthier holiday cookie is a true winner being gluten free, dairy free and refined sugar free. It is a treat that tastes amazing and everyone can enjoy it together. I am honored to have one of my favorite healthier holiday cookie recipes recently featured in Kiwi Magazine .

Healthier Holiday Cookie Recipe Featured in Kiwi Magazine

The best part about this recipe is you can make many flavors from the one base recipe. I personally love the Almond, Cherry Chocolate (pictured at the top of the photo), Orange Chocolate Almond Apricot (pictured in the middle, add a little orange zest to make this flavor pop) and Cinnamon Pecan Raisin on the bottom of the photo. Feel free to make your own family favorite flavor.

Cooking with kids can be great but also a little messy. Get success secrets on how to make cooking with kids easy here.

What are some of your favorite holiday treats and family traditions?

Read the whole Winter Kiwi Issue here!

Gluten Free, Dairy Free Chewy Almond Cookies

November 21, 2016November 22, 2016 Rachel Sherwood

Print Recipe

I am always in search of healthier treats and this one is a true gem! It is free from all the extra junk with the added bonus of no gluten or dairy to fit special diets needs. It’s so simple to make; add it your holiday baking list today.

These chewy almond cookies are gluten free, dairy free and refined sugar free! Enjoy a variety of flavor combinations to fit any taste.

2 cups almond flour

½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

½ cup sliced almonds, chopped walnuts or pecans

½ cup dried apricots, raisins, tart cherries or cranberries, chopped

½ cup cocoa nibs*, or mini chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life brand, they are soy free as well)

½ cup real maple syrup or honey

¼ cup coconut oil, melted

½ teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium to large size bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. The dough will be loose but will stick together when pressed.

Raw "dough" will look crumbled but will stick together when pressed — Raw “dough” will look crumbled but will stick together when pressed

Press dough into 1 in balls and place 2 inches apart on lined baking sheet. Press the dough balls with your hand to flatten slightly.

Bake in preheated oven for 12 minutes until slightly golden. Cookies will be soft. Allow to cool completely on baking sheet so they can firm up before eating.

Store cooled cookies in a sealed container. If not going to eat right away, keep in the refrigerator or freezer.

You can also pre-make the dough and scoop into balls within two days or make dough balls and freeze them to have fresh hot cookies anytime.

White Chocolate Cranberry Chewy Almond Cookies

Combinations I tried:

Apricots and Coco Nibs with sliced almonds

Cranberries and white chocolate chips with pecans (these were extra sweet as the cranberries and white chocolate chips have extra refined sugar in them)

Raisins with walnuts and 1-teaspoon cinnamon

*Note the smaller pieces of chocolate tend to keep the cookies together better. You can also omit the chocolate all together if you prefer like I did in the cinnamon raisin ones.

*Coco nibs are a pure form of unsweetened chocolate, They are peeled and crumbled from whole cacao bean.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. Let me know what your favorite combination is.

I almost forgot– If you don’t care about dairy free or don’t have coconut oil at home, butter works just fine too!

Vanilla Almond Meringue Cookies

December 25, 2015December 24, 2015 Rachel Sherwood

If you decided to make some Homemade Eggnog, you must be wondering what to do with all the extra egg whites? It’s easy to mix up a batch or scramble egg whites, a frittata or an egg white quiche, but this time of year with the dry air it is perfect to make meringue. You can shape meringue into cookies, cups, or really any desired shape. It is difficult to make meringue in the summer as the warm humid air makes it hard for them to completely dry out. You will want to bake these meringues in a low slow oven to get them dry and crisp. Once they are dried out meringue can be stored in an airtight container for up to a year. Enjoy cookies as they are, dip in chocolate, fill cups with fresh fruit or crumble meringue over ice cream for fun texture. These simple treats can be enjoyed all year, but the cool winter months is the best time to be baking meringue.

Vanilla Almond Meringue Cookies

8 egg whites
4 ½ cups powder sugar
1-teaspoon real vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract

Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

With an electric mixer, whip egg whites until foamy. Add sugar one cup at a time, whipping at medium speed gradually working up to high speed after all sugar is incorporated. When the mixture becomes stiff and shiny like satin, stop mixing, and transfer the mixture to a large pastry bag or zip top bag.. Pipe the meringue out onto the prepared baking sheet using a large round tip or a star tip.

Place the meringues in the oven, bake for 2.5-4 hours, until meringues can easily be removed from the pan and are completely dry. Allow cookies to cool completely before storing in an airtight container at room temperature.