I wanted to make cookies with red and green for Christmas. The green was easy, no not kale but pistachios. I always say pistachio is the most overlooked flavor in American desserts so it was a no-brainier.
However being new to a Paleo lifestyle, I was having a bit of trouble with the red. My go-to holiday staple, dried cranberries (White Chocolate Cranberry Pistachio Cookies), were no longer an option.
They contain sugar. I had no idea if dried cherries have sugar but since I couldn’t easily get them, I still don’t know. Hmm, time to get creative.
I remembered seeing people use goji berries in recipes and I always see them in Whole Foods. But what are goji berries? I bought a bag to find out.
Well, let me tell you, I have no idea why they are not everywhere! They are a bit like raisins but sweeter and the health benefits leave raisins in the dust!
The bag calls them the Himalayan superfruit. Super they are! They have vitamin A, vitamin C, iron and some protein! I still don’t understand how a fruit can have protein but OK.
Seriously, run don’t walk to the store to get a bag of these. Or at least order some from Amazon. You’ll wonder where they’ve been your whole life. I know I am.
Yields 24 Cookies
Adapted from Alton Brown's The Chewy Gluten Free
35 minPrep Time
20 minCook Time
55 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
1 1/2 cups tiger nut flour
1 cup casava flour
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups maple sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons coconut milk or nut milk
16 tablespoons (1 cup) ghee or clarified butter
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
8 ounces paleo-friendly semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped*
2 cups dried goji berries
1 1/2 cups pistachios, coarsely chopped
*Always use tempered chocolate when baking cookies. If your homemade chocolate isn't tempered, you can use this.
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, cover the goji berries with boiling water. Let sit until plumped, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Add the sugar, vanilla and milk to the bowl of a stand mixer or large mixing bowl.
- Melt the butter in either a saucepan over low heat or a microwave. Once melted, whisk the hot butter into the sugar mixture.
- Allow the mixture to sit while you whisk together both flours, salt and baking soda in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside. Tip: You can also use this time while the sugar dissolves to coarsely chop your chocolate and pistachios.
- Strain the water from the goji berries and wrap them in a towel and squeeze out any extra water. Set aside.
- Using the paddle attachment, mix together the sugar/butter mixture on medium/high speed for at least 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl.
- Add the whole egg and egg yolk and mix on low until thoroughly combined. Scrape down the bowl.
- Add the flour mixture and mix on low until thoroughly combined. Scrape down the bowl.
- Fold in the chopped chocolate, goji berries and nuts. Tip: View a video on How to Fold an Ingredient into your Batter.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Tip: Remember the oven needs at least 20 minutes to preheat fully, in spite of what the read out says.
- Shape the dough into 2-ounce balls. Flatten the balls with the palm of your hand or a measuring cup. Tip: 2 ounces is 1/4 cup so if you don't have a scale you can use a measuring cup. Also ice cream scoops are usually 1/4 cup. Place the balls on parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet.
- Bake for 10 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through for even baking.
- Remove from the oven and cool the cookies on the sheets for 2 minutes. Move the cookies to a wire rack and cool completely. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container.
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