Healthy & Raw: Vegan "Shortbread" Cookies

Happy Holidays To All!  I hope everyone is happy, healthy, warm, and joyous. Don't forget to spread your wealth of blessings with those less fortunate!  For the 2nd year in a row - here in Maine - we are having an unseasonably warm December and I anticipate a damp, green Christmas.  That's just wrong!  A wee bit of snowfall would be welcome right now to put me in the Holiday Spirit.  Though, I should be careful what I wish for, 'cuz right after Christmas last year, January delivered a winter whammy . . . 3 straight months of frigid, sub-zero, snowy weather.  A blast from winter's past!

Speaking of the Holidays, have you been invited to a couple of festive parties this year and asked to "bring a dish" or "nibbles"?  Want to take something a little unusual, healthy, unexpected, and yet still ultra yummy?  Of course you do!  Well, I've got just the perfect simple recipe to share with you . . . it's my version of vegan, gluten-free "shortbread" cookies and they're RAW, too boot!  If you're a shortbread fanatic, but must avoid wheat and dairy, like me, then you'll absolutely love these.  The recipe comes from page 245 of my popular book, Raw Energy:  124 Raw Food Recipes for Energy Bars, Smoothies, and Other Snacks to Supercharge Your Body (Storey Publishing, c2009).  I've been known to eat 3 or 4 of these delicate, melt-in-your-mouth cookies in the morning with a cup of strong, black, organic coffee and call it breakfast . . . they're oh-so-wonderful!  Give 'em a try . . . and celebrate the season, won't you?

  
Vanilla-Walnut "Shortbread" Cookies

Perfect for Holiday noshing!  These goodies are ultra-rich with a velvety texture - simply bursting with creamy vanilla flavor; they taste a bit like traditional baked shortbread but provide a definite healthy twist.  No white, refined sugar or flour here, nor butter.  The dough makes a terrific crust for a raw pie!  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
- 2 cups raw walnuts
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut, finely shredded
- 1/4 cup raw honey
- 1 teaspoon pure, natural vanilla extract
- Pinch of sea salt 

Directions:

1.  Blend the walnuts, coconut, honey, vanilla, and salt in a food processor until a granular, moist dough forms, about 60 seconds.  It will NOT form a cohesive ball and will be very oily when handled.

2.  Scrape the dough into a medium bowl.  Pinch off pieces of the dough and gently squeeze, knead, and roll the pieces into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.  Press each ball between your palms to slightly flatten into cookies.

3.  Store in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months.  Prior to serving, chill in a covered container in the fridge for a few hours.  This will allow the flavors to meld and the cookies to firm up a bit.

Yield:  About 22 cookies

A good source of:   omega-3 fatty acids plus B vitamins, calcium, zinc, copper, iron, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, manganese, natural sugars, protein, and fiber - all of which provide for a constant flow of energy

NOTE:  This blog was written by Stephanie Tourles. The recipe was used with permission of Storey Publishing and was adapted from her book "Raw Energy: 124 Raw Food Recipes for Energy Bars, Smoothies, and Other Snacks to Supercharge Your Body." The information put forth is true and complete to the best of Ms. Tourles' knowledge.  All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of Ms. Tourles.  She disclaims any liability in connection with the use of this information.  It is for educational purposes only.