The recipe for these cardamom oat cookies was developed out of necessity, really. And it has been one of my trickiest to perfect, so far. Having moved to LA a few months ago, I did what has become part of my settling-in process with every move; I explored the grocery shops and supermarkets looking for exciting new products.
Something I have always had to find quite quickly for my boys is a box of mom approved (read: low-sugar; no un-pronounceable ingredients; healthy and delicious) cookies. Drinking a cup of tea together is a ritual we enjoy at least twice a day. And tea always tastes better with a cookie or two. So finding a box that we can all enjoy together is a priority, of sorts. In the US this proved to be rather difficult. Sure, I could find low fat; low sugar; refined sugar-free; egg free; gluten free; nut free; dairy free cookies. But they resembled cardboard: chewy, gritty, and tasteless.
Anything worth taking a second-look at on the supermarket shelves was so loaded with sugar that it was not an option for us. And one other big consideration for us is that cookies need to be crisp. Not chewy, not soft. When I break it in half I need to hear the ‘snap’. I did find packs of good ol’ Walker’s Shortbread (3 ingredients; low-sugar) which I was grateful for and stocked up on. But I wanted to develop something that I would be happier with my family enjoying at will.
I took on the challenge and fiddled and tweaked over a few months, before settling on this recipe. With just 12 ingredients, and easy measurements, I am now able to throw these together from memory.
I love the inclusion of cardamom. It is definitely one of my favourite spices. The tiniest amount can pack such a powerful flavour punch. And the sweet, slightly smoky aroma that it adds to foods is so distinct. Of course it is a spice widely-used in Middle-Eastern and Asian foods. But I have played around with adding it to baked goods with some shockingly delicious results! These spiced oat cookies are a case-in-point. I hope you agree.
There is always a batch of these in the cookie jar at home. Crunchy and wholesome, with a subtle spiciness, these gluten-free, refined sugar free cookies are the go-to for us.
Ingredients
Scale
1/2 cup (125g) butter
1 tsp (5ml) vanilla essence
3 tbs (45ml) maple syrup
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 cup buckwheat flour
3/4 cup oat flour
3/4 cup almond flour
1/2 cup unsweetened, desiccated coconut
1/4 cup flaked almonds
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 tsp baking soda
Instructions
1. Set the oven to 180ºC (350F).
2. In a small pot, melt the butter with the vanilla and maple syrup. Don’t allow to boil.
3. Stir in the ground spices and set aside to cool slightly (10-15 mins).
4. While the liquids cool, add the rest of the ingredients to a separate bowl. Mix with a spoon to combine.
5. Add the melted butter mixture to the bowl, and mix until it forms a soft dough. You will probably need to use your hands to combine it well.
6. Use your hands to create small balls of dough, then flatten them a bit between your palms. They don’t need to be too thin, but if they are too thick they will take longer to bake and are less likely to crisp up.
7. Place cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 17-20 minutes, or until your kitchen smells heavenly. I usually pick up and check the bottom of a cookie to see the colour – a golden, toasty brown means that they are ready.
8. Allow to cool completely on a cooling rack, before storing in an airtight container
Notes
*I have tried these with coconut oil, to make them vegan, and that works well.
*It took me a long time to get the flour mix to create the cookie texture I was looking for, so I haven’t played around with any flour subs. Feel free to if you like, and let me know what works for you.
* For an extra flavour punch, I will sometimes add the finely grated zest of 1 orange (approx. 2 tsp) to the butter mixture before adding it to the dry ingredients. That smell! It’s amazing! You need to try it, sometime, too.
