Sugar(less) Cutout Cookies (AIP, Paleo)

Apparently pregnancy has turned me to a baker. Have I mentioned I usually hate baking? I love baked goods, but making them myself almost never turns out. The fact that this is my second cookie recipe in a month that has came out on basically the first try, I have to say it is pregnancy hormone magic.

The fun part about these cookies are that the cookie itself has absolutely no sugar in it. The sweet potato acts as a the sweetener. Also, I share two frosting recipes, both use the same base but are flavored a little different. They do use maple syrup or honey, but if you want to keep the cookies totally sugar free, just leave off the frosting.

Sugar(less) Cutout Cookies

Ingredients

• ½ cup cooked white sweet potato, mashed (I used Japanese sweet potatoes for this recipe)
• ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon cassava flour
• 3 tablespoons arrowroot starch
• 3 tablespoons coconut flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons organic palm shortening, melted
• 2 teaspoons avocado oil
• 3 tablespoons cold water

Instructions

1. In a large bowl whisk together sweet potato, cassava flour, arrowroot starch, coconut flour and baking soda.
2. Stir in palm shortening and avocado oil, it will be a little crumble still. 
3. Lastly add in water and stir to fully incorporate. You should have a sticky dough. Form into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and let cool in fridge for at least 30 minutes.
4. After 30 minutes, pull dough out and begin to preheat oven to 350 F.
5. Place a large piece of parchment paper on counter and put unwrapped dough ball on it.
6. Place another piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap on top of dough ball and roll out dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick. 
7. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on parchment paper lined cookie sheets. The dough will still be a bit sticky. The best way to move them to the cookie sheets is using a spatula.
8. Bake in oven for about 12-13 minutes or until the edge just start to brown.
9. Immediate remove and place parchment paper and cookies on a cooling rack.
10. Let cool completely and then enjoy on their own or top with one or both of these two frosting options.

Cookies can be kept on the counter in an airtight container for about 4 days.

Frosting Options

Both recipes are developed to cover all cookies. If you would like to make both, half each recipe.

Tangerine Frosting 

Ingredients

• ½ cup organic palm shortening, softening
• 5 teaspoons tangerine juice
• 3 teaspoons cassava flour
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 teaspoons tangerine zest

Instructions

• Whisk all ingredients in a small bowl until full combined.

Maple Syrup Frosting

Ingredients

• ½ cup organic palm shortening, softening
• 3 teaspoon maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons cassava flour
• 1 teaspoons alcohol-free vanilla extract

Instructions

• Whisk all ingredients in a small bowl until full combined.

Blackberry Jam Thumbprint Cookies (AIP, Coconut-Free Option)

It is currently the holiday time, or as I saw on Instagram the other day "Christmas 1st." This means all things Christmas to me including: lights, Christmas Tree, stockings, Christmas Music, holiday treats, and the Hallmark Channel on 24/7. A few days ago I was enjoying one of the many fabulous movies about ice sculpting or something, and the girl in the movie was teaching her current love interest how to make thumbprint cookies. Being a crazy pregnant lady, I immediately needed the cookies.

I have never actually made them before, so I immediately took to Google. I researched to see what the other amazing bloggers out there have already made, and while there were some great recipes already out there, they all used coconut flour. Personally, coconut flour doesn't bother me, but the hubby does not do very well with it and so for most baking dishes I try not to use it. This recipe just some how magically came together and was just perfect on the very first try. YAY! I used some homemade blackberry jam I had previously made using this awesome recipe by A Girl Worth Saving, but you can use any jam you would like.

Blackberry Jam Thumbprint Cookies

Ingredients

• ¾ cup organic palm shortening
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons of crystallized sugar such as, maple sugar, sucanat sugar, muscovado sugar, or coconut sugar 
• 1 cup of cassava flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
• ½ cup cold water
• ¼ cup blackberry jam

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F.
2. Add palm shortening and sugar to a large mixing bowl, and use a hand mixer to whip them together.
3. Add flour, baking soda and mix with shortening and sugar
4. Then add vanilla, and water to mixing bowl and stir until fully combined into a sticky dough.
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
6. Using a tablespoon, scoop out dough and rolling into a small ball. Place on baking sheet, and press down with palm to slightly flatten. You want it to be about half the size of the ball. Using your thumb, make a big thumbprint in the middle of the cookie.
7. Fill the thumbprint with about a ½ teaspoon of blackberry jam,
8. Repeat until dough is gone. This recipe makes about 18 cookies.
9. Bake in preheated oven for 13 minutes.
10. When done remove from oven and take parchment paper of pan and place on cooling rack.
11. Now, you must let them cool for at least 10 minutes, yes I know that is the hardest part. However, these must cool for them to set, otherwise they will fall apart if you eat them right of the pan.
12. Enjoy! They should last up to 5 days on the counter in a airtight container, if they make it that long.