Looking for a beautiful holiday cookie that tastes like a treat but will leave you and your kids feeling good, even hours after you eat it? This, my friends, is your cookie.
By Emily
Don’t get me wrong, my kids and I do enjoy some of the classic sweets around this time of the year. At parties, I let them join in and try what is offered. But it’s important to me to have some healthier, festive alternatives around that we all like, because the holidays go on for over a month, and all of the sugar involved can become overwhelming.
I’m sharing a little list of why I am so sold on these particular cookies, hoping that you will try them out:
- They transport me back to a night in Italy in December, when my family and I would bundle up and stroll though the gorgeous outdoor Christmas markets. Some of my favorite treats for sale were always the Sicilian cookies made with almond flour, which are my inspiration for this recipe.
- These cookies are beautifully festive — the pistachio and cherry version reminds me of little holiday wreaths.
- I love both their flavour and texture. They are like a less-sweet, more satisfying version of marzipan.
- The only sweetener used in this recipe is dates, which are still high in sugar, but at least they add some fiber and other nutrients to the cookies. (Make sure to check the ingredient list on the dates before buying them to make sure they are unsweetened, because some are coated in glucose syrup.)
- The almond flour which makes the basis of the dough and the pistachios used for the coating contribute additional fiber as well as protein and healthy fats. The egg whites add protein as well. (See the nutrition facts at the end of the post). What this means is that these cookies will give you and your kids lasting energy and be less likely to cause a sugar high and subsequent crash. So, what this really means is that you will lower your chances of having kids who melt-down in the middle of a holiday outing or event if you give them one of these as a treat instead of a sugar cookie.
I love these with an espresso or caffé macchiato, and my kids with a little schiumetta di latte (foamed milk).
They also happen to be gluten-free, grain-free, and dairy-free, which I mention in case those are selling points for you.
Did I convince you? Ready to get baking?
Sicilian Almond Cookies, Naturally Sweetened
Makes around 48 small cookies.
To make these, I used the recipe of one of my favorite chefs, David Lebovitz, as a starting point. I replaced the regular sugar with homemade date paste, changed the coating to chopped pistachios and dried cherries, and made them round instead of oval. As David shows on his blog, sliced almonds or pine nuts are also beautiful toppings. I couldn’t resist and I made some covered in those as well, and also tried using quartered dried apricots instead of cherries, which worked nicely.
INGREDIENTS
Dough:
–3 cups almond flour (290g)
–A pinch of salt
–2 cups pitted, unsweetened dates (294g)
–1/3 cup water
–5 egg whites (3 for the dough and 2 for the coating) at room temperature
Toppings:
–1 cup unsalted, raw pistachios, chopped
–48 dried, unsweetened cherries (roughly 1/2 cup if small)
–Other optional toppings: pine nuts, sliced almonds, quartered dried apricots
METHOD
Get Prepared:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (160 C.)
- Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Make the Dough:
- In a small bowl, combine the almond flour and the salt and set aside.
- In a food processor (or chopper), blend the dates and the water into a creamy paste. It is ok if there are still small, visible bits of dates in the paste.
- Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Crack 3 into a medium bowl for beating and 2 into a small bowl that you will use to coat the cookies. (You won’t need the yolks for this recipe.)
- Beat the 3 egg whites until soft peaks form.
- Using a rubber scraper, fold the date paste into the whites. This will deflate them some and that is okay.
- Fold in the dry ingredients and continue blending until a dough forms in the middle of the bowl. It is okay if it feels sticky/gooey.
Roll, Coat, and Top:
- Shape the dough into small balls, slightly smaller than 1 inch each. This should make around 48.
- Using a fork, stir the remaining 2 egg whites to loosen them up. Chop your pistachios if you haven’t already and put them in another bowl.
- Dip each of the balls into the egg white and then roll in the pistachios (or other nuts).
- Flatten each ball into a small disk and coat with additional nuts, if needed.
- Create an indent in each cookie and top with a dried cherry (or apricot piece).
- Place on the baking sheet.
Bake:
- Bake the cookies for around 25 minutes or until they are golden brown. For even browning, it is helpful to rotate the pan around a few times.
- Allow to cool for a few minutes before transferring them off of the pan.
*Below are the some approximate nutrition facts generated using the USDA SuperTracker Tool.
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Nice recipe
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Thank you, I hope you enjoy it!
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Thank you for this recipe!! We are cutting back on processed sugars.
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Hi Deborah, you are most welcome. I hope you like them. Happy Holidays!
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These look amazing!! Can’t wait to try them.
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Thanks, Salva! Let me know what you think.
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This looks amazing. I look forward to trying it and passing it onto both my daughters.
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Thanks, Wendy! Enjoy!
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Looks like a great recipe and love the focus on energy and fiber with no added sugar. Fabulous contribution to the holiday treats!
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Thanks, Kim! Yes, so nice to have some variety, right?
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These look delicious!
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I hope you like them as much as I do!
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This recipe sounds really delicious.
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Great to hear from you, Jerry! I hope you like them.
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From PG California and looking forward to trying these cookie recipes. Our 2 year old grandson is staying with us and his mom is trying to keep as much sugar away from him as possible. I will pass on to her. Thanks
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Thanks, Jeanne. Really appreciate you passing the post on!
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Thanks for all your great ideas about cooking for and with kids. I love cooking with my grandson, Donovan.
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So happy to hear that you and your grandson enjoy cooking together!
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Will definitely share recipe with my daughter-in-law who has 2 boys. Thanks
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Thanks for the comment, Nina. I hope your family enjoys them!
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I am going to make these cookies today for a heathy alternative for all the holiday sweets! Thank you for for giving me this recipe!
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So happy you plan to make them. Let me know what you think!
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These cookies are so delicious and easy to make once you get used to the recipe. I found that using an electric mixer and beater would be helpful like they do on the British Baking Show! They had just the right amount of sweetness from the dates, look great and tasted so good with coffee. I am using them for a dinner party dessert and for gifts and plan to share the recipe with my health conscious friends. Thanks again!
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Thanks so much for the feedback. Really happy you enjoyed them and found them easy to make. I am also using them for gifts — we bundled up 12 packages for the kids’ teachers and assistants.
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I plan to make my second batch in the next day or so as I gave some for gifts! Glad you plan to make them too!
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Yes, in fact now that I gave all of ours away, I want some more for me and the kids!
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These cookies are great, nice texture with a pleasant crunch of the nuts and an almost creamy texture from the almond flour. I had one or two with morning coffee and a couple with afternoon expresso, guilt free!
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So happy you are enjoying them! I also love the texture and think they go nicely with coffee.
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Hi Emily, I tried your recipe and we absolutely loved the result. These cookies are ideal for a morning coffee or to have as a nutritious snack for kids or myself when we are on the road. I look forward for more great sweet ideas. 🙂 Happy holidays!
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Hi Yuliya, Great to hear from you, and I’m so happy you liked them! Merry Christmas!
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