(Gluten Free!) Orange, Walnut, Date, and Olive Oil Cookies

I have been consuming Cara Cara oranges and walnuts like water over the last month and a half. When my cravings are so healthy and whole, I happily oblige. So, it makes sense that my nearly weekly batch of "Mommy's Healthy Cookies" (which really originates from a throw-together-whatever-you've-got, no recipe kind of "recipe") took an orange-walnut turn. Happily, this proved to be just as awesome as other versions; in fact, my family clamored for more and ate their way through batch after batch as I experimented with gluten free and gluten free/vegan versions!

As it turns out, the vegan version is just shy of something I want to share with you, but I will persist. I am really pleased with this final gluten free version which combines the single mellow sweetness of dates, bright orange, silky olive oil, and lots of walnuts. I feel really good about handing off a couple of these little gems to my kindergartener every day after school because they are lightly sweet, full of fiber, and full of healthy fats. He always wants more, and I can confirm they are a great snack anytime.

If you have a severe gluten reaction or celiac disease, make sure you grab a bag of oats that are CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE. While oats are naturally gluten free, they can be contaminated by other grains from the field or from processing. Gluten free oats are becoming more widely available so just ask your grocer or call around to see who carries them.

If you have a ribbon zester this may be a good time to use it if you don't mind slightly more prominent bits of orange peel. Zest the fruit in long ribbons and then mince finely. Blending the wet ingredients with the dates and zest ensures that the zest and dates incorporate better. If you want a finer orange zest, use a microplane on the fruit and blend the zest into the wet ingredients in the same way.

If you haven't been baking with olive oil, I hope these cookies can be a gateway experience for you. Olive oil has a surprisingly unobtrusive flavor when baked and a lends a soft, tender mouthfeel to treats from the oven. Orange, olive oil, walnuts, and dates compliment each other wonderfully in a kid-friendly way too. If the orange zest is too overwhelming (for kiddos or even adults), just reduce by 1 Tbsp and give it a try again. To me, the orange peel is essential.

Make sure you have a processor or blender with a nice sharp blade. The oats and walnuts make a nicer, more tender cookie when they can be ground fine. The oats should be a rough flour consistency, and the walnuts should be like rough sand. The nuts that each ball of dough is rolled in should be chopped to a  pebbly consistency with a knife or in the processor.

If you want variety, try leaving some cookies without the extra chopped walnuts or add a single half walnut pressed into the top for a nice look too. I can't get enough walnuts so I recommend rolling them in the chopped nuts, which gives them a nice crunchy outside too. You choose! Enjoy.

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Orange, Walnut, Date, and Olive Oil Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 C Rolled Oats, certified gluten free, not quick oats
• 1 1/2 C Walnuts, I used large pieces, not chopped, not whole
• 2 Tsp Ground flax seed
• 1 Tsp Baking soda
• 1 Tsp Baking powder
• 1/4 Tsp Sea salt
• 8 Dates, pitted and roughly chopped
• 1/3 C Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Large egg
• 3 Tbsp Orange zest
• 2 Tbsp Orange juice
• 1 Tsp Vanilla extract
• 2 C Walnuts, chopped small for coating the cookies

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare two cookies sheets with parchment paper.

Separately grind the oats and the 1 1/2 C walnuts very fine in a food processor or blender. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the oats, walnuts, flax, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt. Mix the dry ingredients well.

In the same processor or blender, combine the dates, olive oil, egg, orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla extract. Puree this mixture as smooth as possible.

Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl and stir until completely incorporated into a wet dough. Place the 2 C of small chopped walnuts in a bowl and use a Tablespoon measure to make heaping Tablespoon balls of dough. Each time you make a ball of dough, roll each completely in the chopped walnuts and press to 1/2 inch thickness on the parchment.

When all the dough is rolled, pressed, and evenly spaced on the sheet pans, bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes. Check the bottoms of the cookies for light browning to determine when the cookies are done. Allow the cookies to cool on the sheet pans and store in an airtight container at room temperature or simply place them on a lightly covered plate.

The cookies will keep best for 1 week at room temperature. Refrigerate them after one week.

Cauliflower Fennel Pecan Soup with Olive Oil Honey and Thyme Biscuits

There have been a lot of biscuits around the house lately. I have had an acute, late winter baked goods craving which I have been satisfying quite effectively with a succession of biscuit test sessions thank you very much. It's a good thing that the luscious, silky, and strangely creamy soup that accompanies the biscuits is a low-carb dream come true. And, it's insanely easy to make.

Do you get into fennel? I dig fennel a lot, but this soup doesn't hit you over the head with fennel flavor. The fennel, shallot, pecan, and cauliflower form a perfectly harmonized quartet which, combined with the biscuits, is reminiscent of biscuits and gravy. The tender, hearty, and somewhat addictive biscuits also play the roll of a dumplings when plopped down in the center of the puree. It's a good combo. Really good.

I've been making a cauliflower, pecan, and fresh thyme soup for clients for years, but I decided to shake it up, marry fennel to the cauliflower, and move the thyme to a biscuit. There is no need to purchase the more pricey whole pecans since the soup will be blended. Pecan pieces will do just fine. Take the time to slowly soften the fennel, shallot, and garlic, avoiding any browning that might introduce bitter flavors. This soup is all about soft and buttery. Don't forget to save some or all of those feathery fennel leaves to garnish or add to the soup.

The pecans mingle with the olive oil and veggies for a few minutes and toast slightly in the oil. The liquid, sliced cauliflower, and sea salt go into the pot next to simmer. Using water is perfect in this recipe and produces lovely, clean flavors. If you choose to use stock, use a mild home-made stock that won't overpower or muddy the vegetables in the soup.

After the soup has simmered, the pecans and all vegetables should be quiet soft. Just puree the soup until it is as perfectly smooth as possible, check the salt level, and season with sherry vinegar. If you don't have sherry vinegar on hand, I would suggest white balsamic or rice vinegar as substitutes. Chopping all of the beautiful fennel greens and adding them to the soup is also a great option, as well as finishing the soup with just a touch fresh ground white or black pepper.

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And now for the biscuits....

These little babies, or a multitude of variations, are going to be a new go-to recipe in my kitchen. Inspired by a number of olive oil biscuit recipes I found, and an effective and easy folding technique gleaned from the heartofabaker.com blog, I crafted these little bites to satisfy in both taste and texture. The dough is soft and supple, barely pulled together, gently rolled and gently folded several times to produce a flaky, layered texture.

Greedily, I wanted more pecans even after including them in the soup, so I added finely pulsed pecans to the dough along with the fresh thyme and honey. I also prefer the texture and nuttier taste of whole wheat pastry flour, so I used half whole wheat pastry flour and half all purpose flour. This produced the perfect texture for me, not too cloyingly doughy and not too dense. Keep a light touch with the dough and you will get great results.

Get your oven hot ahead of time because these come together fast. Don't sweat the perfection of the folding. Roll minimally, keep the work surface and the dough floured, gently fold in thirds lengthwise, flip, turn and repeat two more times, then bake! Make them just before serving if possible because they are killer plopped right into the soup straight out of the oven. Enjoy!

Easy Peasy!

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Cauliflower Fennel Pecan Soup with Olive Oil Honey and Thyme Biscuits

For the Soup:

• 1 C Shallot, red or yellow, thinly sliced
• 1 C Fennel, thinly sliced
• 2 Lg Cloves garlic
• 1/3 C Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 C Pecan pieces
• 1/4 C Mirin
• 1 Lb Cauliflower, sliced in 1/2 inch thick chunks
• 6 C Water or stock
• 2 Tsp Sea salt
• 1 Tsp Sherry vinegar
• *Optional: fresh ground pepper

Peel and slice the shallots about 1/8th inch thick. Halve the fennel and slice it 1/8th inch thick as well. Reserve the fine, tender fennel leaves for garnishing whole or chopped like dill. You may also chop the fine leaves and incorporate them with the soup after blending.

Choose a heavy bottomed soup pot (at least 4 qt.), and saute the shallot, fennel, and garlic with the olive oil over low-medium heat until the vegetables are soft and becoming translucent. Do not allow the fennel and onion to brown. This will take about 10 minutes. Add the pecans and saute for an additional 4 minutes. Add the mirin and allow the liquid to reduce for 2 minutes. Now add the water or stock and salt and bring to a boil. Cover the pot, reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.

After simmering, the vegetables should be very tender. Puree the soup until it is completely smooth and silky. Check the salt level and add the sherry vinegar. Add fresh ground pepper to taste.

Yield: 7 1/2 C, about 6 servings

For the Biscuits:

• 1/2 C plus 2 Tbsp Whole wheat pastry flour (also extra for dusting)
• 1/2 C All purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp Finely chopped or processed pecans
• 2 Tbsp Corn starch
• 2 Tsp Roughly chopped fresh thyme
• 3/4 Tsp Baking powder
• Scant 1/2 Tsp Sea salt
• 1/2 C Almond milk (or milk of choice)
• 1/4 C Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp Honey, liquid
• 1/2 Tsp Apple cider vinegar

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flours, pecans, corn starch, thyme, baking powder, and sea salt. Mix these together well with a whisk. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. In a small bowl mix together the almond milk, olive oil, honey, and apple cider vinegar. Pour the wet ingredients into the well in the dry, and use a spatula to just barely bring together a wet dough. Turn the dough out onto a smooth, well floured surface. Gently shape the dough to form a very soft ball.

Gently roll the dough into a rectangular shape about 3/4 inch thick. Fold the dough in thirds lengthwise to create three layers. Turn the dough 90 degrees and flip the folded side down. Now repeat the process two more times, being careful to work the dough as little as possible.

When you have made the third fold and rolled the dough to 3/4 inch for the last time. Cut the dough in six,  once cut lengthwise and two cuts across. Transfer the biscuits to a sheet pan with parchment paper, leaving at least two inches between biscuits. Bake for 18 minutes. The biscuits should turn golden brown and will have puffed up a little when they are done. Check them at 16 minutes in case your oven runs hot.

Remove the biscuits and serve immediately in the center of the soup. Garnish with the fennel leaves.

The soup and biscuits recipe serves six.

Buckwheat Sunflower Seed Tea Biscuits

For fellow tea drinkers, whose days, like mine, are punctuated by a regular schedule of steaming, life-giving brew, this recipe might be of interest. There is something especially comforting about a hot cup of tea or coffee break where we can slow down, let our minds relax for a moment, and connect with our bodies and ourselves for a moment. A mindful and calming snack can be all that we need to take us through the morning or afternoon.

My husband is particularly fond of these cookies, though I call them biscuits because they really are like a shortbread or maybe a very sweet digestive cracker that goes well with tea. It also sounds cute! They taste, to quote my beloved cookie-critic, "like buckwheat pancakes with maple syrup but in cookie form". Extra nuttiness comes from the sunflower seeds, which go really nicely with buckwheat, and a buttery richness is supplied by virgin coconut oil. Virgin coconut oil is a must in many of my baked goods, cookies, and cakes, adding a simply incomparable burst of flavor.

Moderation, of course, is of the essence. I don't make baked sweets that often, but I have several excellent recipes in which I wouldn't substitute virgin coconut oil with anything else. My motto (a la Michael Pollan) is: Eat a balanced diet, eat loads of veggies, fruits and legumes, eat the grains that suit you, eat good quality meats and cheeses in moderation if you are omnivorous, use unprocessed oils as much as possible, and go for flavor when you have those little sweet bites! Never sacrifice flavor or you will feel deprived and unsatiated. Yes, you can have it all-In moderation that is!

This dough is a straight up, one bowl mixing affair. Bring the dough together with a spatula or large spoon, turn it out onto a floured surface, knead slightly with flour dusted hands, and that's it. The only trick to these cookies involves a quick trip to refrigerator. Since this dough is uber soft, it needs to be rolled on parchment, on the baking pan, then chilled in the fridge for about 10 minutes. Then it can be cut into crisp shapes which can be positioned on the pan.

It's always nice to have some fresh baked goods for those times when sweet friends or family are coming for a visit. Happily, this dough freezes well if you want to make a double batch and freeze half. When you want to use the dough, thaw it on the counter, roll it when it is soft, and continue with the recipe. When freezing the dough, it may be helpful if it is flattened to about an inch to allow it to thaw quickly and evenly.

Roll the soft dough to 1/4 inch thick on parchment and on the sheet pan, trim the edges (or not, for my type B friends), refrigerate, cut into desired shapes, space the cookies and bake! I chose an air pan, that is a pan that has two layers separated by an air space. I find this useful for more delicate, quick cooking thin cookies that could burn or brown too much on the bottom, but your favorite sheet pan will do. What to do with those little trimmed edges you ask? Well, you eat them as soon as they are cooled while you are putting away the cookies. This is a critical part of the process. 

There will only be minimal browning around the edges, and they will only ever-so slightly puff up, so these indicators are not good measures for when they are done. They will, however, begin to exude a toasty, sweet smell about two minutes before they are done. I would stick to the 14 minute time frame at 350. They bake fast and you don't want to over cook them. 

Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring them to a container. These are delicate little creatures, but so delicious. Did I mention they are gluten free? I guess you figured that out by now. Enjoy!

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Buckwheat Sunflower Seed Tea Biscuits

Ingredients:

• 1/3 C raw or toasted, unsalted sunflower seeds
• 1 C buckwheat flour plus extra for dusting
• 1/4 C maple syrup
• 1/2 C virgin coconut oil, soft
• 1/2 Tsp sea salt
• 1/4 Tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. If using untoasted sunflower seeds, toast them in a dry pan over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until they are golden brown. Even if using toasted sunflower seeds, I like to toast them briefly until they are glossy and aromatic. Remove them from the pan and when they are cool, pulse them in a food processor to small, sand and pebble consistency, meaning some larger chunks will remain among the finer ground bits.

Combine the sunflower seeds, buckwheat flour, maple syrup, coconut oil, sea salt and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl and stir together until evenly mixed. This is a very thick and sticky dough and I would describe the mixing as more of a "squishing" together...use your hands too, they work well in this case.

Flour a work surface with a little extra buckwheat flour and turn the dough out, kneading and shaping just enough to make a smooth ball. Transfer the dough to a lightly dusted parchment on a sheet pan and roll to 1/4 inch thickness. Dust your rolling pin too in order to reduce sticking. Cover the dough with parchment or plastic and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

When the dough is chilled, trim the edges and cut the dough in to desired shapes. I keep the cookies no larger than 1 inch wide and maybe 2 inches long because they are very delicate and break easily when handled if they are larger. Bake for 14 minutes and allow them to cool completely on the sheet pan. Remove to a an airtight container. Don't forget to eat the little trimmings!

The cookies will keep for several weeks in an airtight container.

Yield: Approx. 24-26 one inch cookies, depending on the shape.