By Guru Tera Kaur
We have a tradition in the 3HO lifestyle to serve treats to our friends, family, and sangat on our birthdays as a way of expressing gratitude for our breath of life. Often there is someone serving yummy cookies at the end of a Kundalini Yoga class or bringing them around to co-workers in the office.
For those of us who don’t eat wheat, dairy, or refined sugar, good cookie recipes can be hard to find. I found a recipe online that I thought might work with some substitutions. It was my birthday and I was at work. My plan was to make cookies for my co-workers on my lunch hour. I planned on substituting almond butter for peanut butter, and agave for maple syrup. When I got home I realized that I would have to use something other than whole wheat pastry flour, as I had none.
The recipe was becoming a far cry from the original and I didn’t know how or if the cookies would turn out. I ate my lunch while the cookies were in the oven and then I tasted one. Lo and behold, it was scrumptious (my cookie-loving husband can confirm). I took them back to the office for my co-workers to enjoy. And they did.
Yummy Almond Butter Cookies: Wheat-free, Dairy-free, Refined Sugar-Free
1 ½ c oat flour
½ c garbanzo flour (besan)
1 tsp baking soda
¾ tsp salt
1 c almond butter
1 c agave (or honey or maple syrup)
1/3 c olive oil
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place racks in the top third of the oven.
In a medium mixing bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a separate larger bowl, combine the almond butter, agave, olive oil, and vanilla. Stir until combined. Pour the flour mixture over the almond butter mixture and stir until barely combined – still a bit dusty looking. Let sit for five minutes, give one more quick stir – just a stroke or two. Now drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Press down on each one gently with the back of a fork. Bake for 10-11 minutes. Let cool five minutes and then transfer them to a cooling rack if desired.
Makes 2-3 dozen cookies