Raw Gingerbread Energy Bites

When I first started thinking about all of the holiday goodies in the world and which ones I wanted to make (and share) this season, I jumped to gingerbread pretty much from the start. Even though I already have this recipe for grain-free gingerbread men on the site, I wanted to share another recipe because the cozy combination of spices is just quintessential wintertime for me. 

What I hadn't thought through yet, was how many sweets come with the holiday season, and how every year I wish for those classic holiday flavors in a healthier form. It was right around the time that I began researching for a chewy gingerbread cookie that my friends over at Made in Nature asked me if I would help them with some holiday recipes. Ding! It was as if the stars had aligned and everything came together. Of course. Why not make a chewy gingerbread bite using dates? 

I went to the Made In Nature test kitchen this morning... The end result is delicious.

These raw gingerbread cookies are something I would take climbing or skiing, but I also just grab one out of the fridge when I need a little something sweet. Heck, I'd even take a batch to a holiday cookie swamp-- it's always so nice to have something a little healthier in the mix. 

Made in Nature provided me with product and compensation for this blog post, but the recipes and opinions are all my own. Working with brands to develop wholesome recipes is one way I keep Foraged Dish going! Made In Nature helps me stock the pantry and keep the blog going. I only work with brands that I truly enjoy and use.  

Raw Gingerbread Energy Bites

Published December 15, 2016 by Caitlin Sherwood

Yield: 12   |    Active Time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients:

6-ounces pitted Deglet Noor dates

1/2 cup pecans

1/2 cup unsweetened desiccated coconut

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated on microplane

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor and run until the a sticky crumb forms. Everything should stay together when pinched between two fingers.
2. Roll mixture together by the tablespoonful to make a single bite. Place on a plate and repeat until all of the mixture is used.
3. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge.

Chocolate Vanilla Pinwheel Cookies (Gluten-free and Paleo)

My dad taught me to make pinwheel cookies when I was young. We'd make checkerboard cookies too, the same contrast between vanilla and chocolate shortbread dough, but shaped into squares with a checkerboard pattern. 

I revamped this recipe to use almond flour, and the result was soft, chewy and delicious. The chocolate dough is my favorite of the two (go figure), but swirled together the chocolate and vanilla make a perfect pair. They say opposites attract or something, I guess it's true! 

Having made pinwheel cookies dozens of times, I thought this might be a good opportunity to test my skills at making a how-to video of how to roll up the cookies and make a swirl. Well. I think I need to work on my videography skills: I wasn't even 20 seconds in to recording when I realized I had no idea where the rolling pin was, or where I had decided to store it in the new kitchen. I left the camera rolling for a good 5 minutes while I rushed from cupboard to cupboard trying to find it. 

The errors didn't end there and let's just jump to the end of the story because there's no video to share. Cleary I'm going to need to take on a class on videography before I try to make any recipes videos! 😂

Chocolate Vanilla Pinwheel Cookies (Gluten-free and Paleo)

Paleo, Primal, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free    |   Caitlin Sherwood    

Chocolate dough and vanilla dough are layered and then rolled into a log before being sliced into rounds to create a pretty chocolate vanilla pinwheel.

Yields: 12   |    Total Time: 60 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 2 cups almond flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup coconut oil or butter, melted
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• Scant 1/4 cup cocoa

Directions:

1. First, make the vanilla dough: Whisk together HALF each of the almond flour, salt, and baking soda. Then, pour in HALF each of the melted butter, melted honey, and vanilla. Use your hands or a spatula to stir until a sticky, even dough is formed. Roll into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in fridge.
2. Second, make the chocolate dough: Whisk together the remaining almond flour, salt, and baking soda. Add in the cocoa, whisking in. Then, pour in the remaining melted butter, melted honey, and vanilla. Again, use a spatula or your hands to work into a sticky dough. Roll into a ball and wrap in saran wrap.
3. Allow both dough balls to chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 325°. Prepare your work station: Place 1 sheet of parchment paper on the counter (18 inches long should be sufficient), and then cut two additional pieces of the same size.
5. Unwrap the vanilla dough from the saran wrap and place on the first piece of parchment on the counter. Place the second piece of parchment over top, and begin to roll out the dough to a 1/8 of an inch thick. The parchment keeps the dough from sticking while you roll it out.
6. Once the dough is in an even, thin layer, peel back the top layer of parchment. Leaving the dough on the bottom piece, move it aside (carefully). Place the third piece of parchment in front of you place the chocolate dough ball on it. Place the free piece of parchment over top and roll the dough out just the same. Once rolled, peel back the top layer.
7. Now, move carefully: lift one of the rolled out pieces of dough (still attached to the parchment) and place it dough-side down against the other flavor of dough. You should now have a parchment dough sandwich: parchment, chocolate dough, vanilla dough, parchment. Peel off the top piece of parchment.
8. Working from one edge of the dough, begin rolling both layers together into a log. I like to lift the parchment with the dough as a roll it (then pulling it back so as not to roll it into the cookie) in order to keep the dough from crumbing or cracking. Make the log tight, shopping it as you roll by gently squeezing it. Once the entire log is rolled up, us a piece of thread (or floss) to cut off the first inch of the log by holding on to the two ends, left and right and pulling the floss down through the log (the ends of the log of dough is usually uneven and does not have a great swirl— you can still bake and eat it, it just won’t be as pretty). Use the floss again to slice each cookie, about 1/4 of an inch thick. Place each sliced cookie round on a baking sheet.
9. Bake for 9 minutes, until just golden. Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes.

Pumpkin Pie Bars with Grain-Free Gingerbread Crust

I was so happy to have my friend Cassie in the kitchen to help whip, stir, and bake! She shot these beautiful pictures too.

There may be nothing more comforting than baking a pumpkin pie on a cool fall day while wearing your slippers while giggling with a close friend. In the wake of change--changing seasons, growing older, moving to a new home (more to come on this on Thursday!!)- a day of pie baking was just what the doctor ordered. With extra whipped cream of course.

More than anything, it is the act of making pumpkin pie, and the smell of baking pumpkin pie, that makes it therapeutic. Aromatherapy, if you will.

What's great about what pie aromatherapy is that it will pretty much be whatever you want it to be. Need a hug? Breath in that cinnamon. Looking for a hug? Focus in on rolling out that pie crust, on the act of making the pie. Just want something sweet? Quiet time? A few laughs?

You get the picture. 

Pumpkin Pie Bars with Grain-Free Gingerbread Crust

Primal, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free    |   Caitlin Sherwood    

These pumpkin pie bars are made with a gingerbread-spiced almond flour crust and topped with creamy pumpkin filling.

Serves: 9   |    Total Time: 80 minutes

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Ingredients:

For the Gingerbread Crust
• 1-1/2 cup almond flour
• 1 tablespoon coconut flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil or butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1-1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon each cloves and nutmeg
For the pumpkin filling:
• 1 cup pumpkin
• 2/3 cup evaporated milk (coconut milk for dairy-free)
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease a 9x9 baking dish. In a medium sized mixing bowl, consume the dry ingredients for the crust (almond flour, coconut flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg). Whisk until evenly distributed. Then, stir in the melted coconut oil, honey, and vanilla until a sticky dough forms. Press dough in an even layer in bottom of the baking dish. Place in oven and bake for 9 minutes, until crust is slightly puffed and golden. Set aside to cool completely.
2. Now, set the oven to 425°F. Make the pumpkin pie filling: whisk together the pumpkin, evaporated milk, honey, and egg. Once combined, whisk in the cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. Pour mixture into cooled crust. Place in oven and bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F and bake for 40-50 more minutes, until a knife, when inserted into the center of the pumpkin mixture, comes out clean.
3. Set baking dish aside to cool for 15 minutes. Slice and serve (whipped cream or coconut cream optional!)