Gluten free and extra spicy vegan gingersnaps; a modern take on an ancient cookie

Gingersnaps appeared commercially in the mid 1800s but we can trace this cookie’s roots to medieval times. It’s believed to have been invented by monks in 13th century Germany.

Typically, gingersnaps are flavoured with molasses and spices like cinnamon, clove, ginger and nutmeg. They’re prepared in varying textures and thicknesses too.

I love versions that are crisp on the edges and chewy in the middle but this is not that kind of gingersnap. This one lives up to the name! It’s got an amazing light crispness and crunch.

This is a strongly flavoured cookie. I increase the amount of spice from that used in the original recipe and I include ground cloves and freshly ground black pepper. I use ground nutmeg in a pinch but I much prefer whole nutmeg, grated with a microplane. If you're out of ground cloves, like I was, grind a few whole cloves. And why not! Although it’s not necessary, using freshly ground spices rewards you with extra warmth and flavour.

You can even grind rolled oats if you don't have oat flour.  For one cup of oat flour add a cup and a bit more of rolled oats to the food processor and blend until it becomes a flour.

The cookie dough comes together beautifully and is easy to roll out. But I had some trouble transferring the unbaked cookies onto the cookie sheet. It was a warm day and the dough had softened and warmed quickly, and it was a challenge to scoop up the cookies without them losing their nice flat round shapes.

Briefly chilling the dough AGAIN - after you roll it out and before you start cutting the shapes - helps a lot, as does using a metal spatula lightly dusted with flour to scoop up the cookies.

Here’s another way to insure your cookies keep their shape. After you press the cookie cutter into the chilled dough and make all the shapes, carefully roll away excess dough from around the cookies and leave them on the parchment, undisturbed. Then slide the parchment onto the cookie sheet.

Of course it doesn't matter if the shapes get wobbly and the cookies aren’t uniform. They will still be delightfully crisp and taste delicious.

Yet it's quite nice to see them neatly stacked, all relatively the same shape and size, especially if you intend to gift them. The brittle structure of these gingersnaps makes them an excellent cookie to package and give away.

Original recipe here.

Gluten free and extra spicy vegan gingersnaps (makes about 30 cookies)

1/4 cup maple syrup

3 Tbsp coconut sugar or brown sugar (or even white sugar, I've tried them all, successfully.)

3 Tbsp melted coconut oil

2 Tbsp molasses

2 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 of ground ground clove

freshly ground black pepper, about 10 turns of the pepper grinder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 cup oat flour

1/2 cup almond flour 

1/4 cup arrowroot flour/starch

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (176 C).

Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Begin by mixing together the maple syrup, coconut sugar, melted coconut oil, molasses, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, black pepper, baking soda and sea salt until well combined.

Then add in your oat flour, almond flour and arrowroot starch and mix with a stiff spoon until everything is blended well.

Form the dough into a flattened disc, wrap in parchment and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Remove from the fridge and allow the dough to rest for a minute then place in the centre of a sheet of parchment paper lightly dusted with some arrowroot starch. Lightly dust the top of the dough with more arrowroot starch and place another sheet of parchment paper on top and begin to roll the dough into a large circle about 1/16-inch thick. Rolling your dough as thinly as possible results in cookies that are light and crisp. Place the dough in the refrigerator once more to chill for 5 to 10 minutes.

Use a cookie cutter to cut out as many cookies as you can. I used a small drinking glass with an approximate 2 1/2 inch diameter with the rim lightly dusted with arrowroot starch.

Now you have options.

Use a metal spatula lightly dusted with arrowroot starch to transfer the cookie shapes onto your parchment-lined baking sheet about 1 inch apart.

Or do as I did and remove the excess dough from around the cookie shapes and leave them in place on the parchment. Then lift or slide the parchment paper carefully onto the cookie sheet.

Combine remaining dough scraps and repeat until all of the dough is used up.

Bake the cookies for 9 to12 minutes. The longer you bake them the crisper and darker they will be. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Store in an airtight container for several days at room temperature, and for even longer in the refrigerator and freezer. You can also freeze the dough and defrost in the refrigerator before rolling out to bake.

Fruit and berry crumble, vegan and gluten-free

A fruit crumble is easy to make and requires these three things: a greased pan that’s just the right amount deep, a fruit filling and a crumbled topping. 

Wash, prep and coarsely chop fruit of your choice, combine with berries, flavour, toss directly into a greased baking dish and scatter the crumble on top.

You can choose any fruit or combination of fruit and berries from any season. It’s fun to experiment but you may have to adjust the recipe accordingly. My favourite as of late is apple, strawberry and cherry. You don’t have to use fresh berries either. Frozen works perfectly well.

Another great pairing is apple and peach. To try this combination, in the recipe below, substitute the cherries and strawberries for 4 peaches and only one tablespoon of tapioca.

I add tapioca to help thicken the filling, especially if I’m using frozen berries.

When baking, make sure the filling is visibly bubbling before pulling it out of the oven. This will ensure the thickener has been fully activated. If concerned about bubbling over in the oven, place your dish on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Please note, this recipe doesn’t call for sweetener in the fruit filling but you might reconsider and add a little depending on what fruit you use. For example, if you use rhubarb you will want to add a little extra.

Fruit and berry crumble, vegan and gluten-free

For the filling:

1 cup frozen cherries

2 cups frozen strawberries

3 large or 5 medium size apples.

1/2 lemon, zest and juice

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

1 -2 tbsp tapioca (optional)

For the topping:

2 cups large rolled oats

1/2 cup almond flour

1/4 cup honey or sweetener of your choice

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

3/4 cup coconut oil or olive oil (I use a combination of both)

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350 F

Lightly grease an approximately 9“ x 7” baking dish.

Peel, core and chop fruit into chunky pieces. 

Place fruit and berries in baking dish and sprinkle with cinnamon and freshly ground nutmeg.

Add the lemon zest, juice and tapioca. Lightly toss and allow sit for at least 10 minutes while you make the topping.

In a large bowl place almond flour, rolled oats, walnuts, sweetener and salt. Mix with a fork to combine. 

Add the oil (or butter) and continue to blend. 

Sprinkle crumble topping over the fruit. Try to work on a depth half that of the fruit. Too thick and the middle won't cook.

Press the topping down with your hands or the back of a large spoon.

Place in preheated oven and bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden and you can see the fruit bubbling through from underneath.

Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.