Raw Gingerbread Cookies, Dehydrated Using Fo-ti and Fresh Ginger

A good raw gingerbread cookies recipe in your arsenal of healthy holiday treats is a nice thing to have when you want to splurge and celebrate this traditional food-feasting time of year.

And, just because you want to try to maintain good dietary practices that won't cause weight gain, fatigue or digestive issues, doesn't mean you can't enjoy customary dessert or food alternatives.

Most all Thanksgiving, Xmas, or other cultural-specific recipes have their healthier substitutes. This is our raw vegan recipe version of the gingerbread cookie, a common treat served at Christmas in the U.S.

Unlike traditional recipes, these gingerbread men are made with natural sweeteners, almonds, coconut, flax and of course fresh grated ginger root. Instead of butter we use coconut oil that, along with the other ingredients, provides a texture that's very similar to baked gingerbread cookies.

We also add in one of our top superfood favorites, fo-ti or he shou wu, an adaptogen and energy restorative. This particular ingredient gives your cookies that extra special magic touch. No reason why you can't enjoy the delicious taste of gingerbread and help to tonify Jing and kidney Yin at the same time. :)

Of course, if this is your goal, regular consumption of this potent Chinese root, is required. But, those new to the health enhancing qualities of this amazing superfood tonic, might indeed find an increased energy boost that goes well to combat the often exhausting holiday season.

In these raw gingerbread cookies we use a relatively large amount of homemade he shou wu tincture, essentially organic cured roots and powder that we infused in organic vodka for approximately 2 weeks. You can likewise use purchased alcohol-based tinctures or liquid solutions made with glycerin (if you are trying to avoid alcohol).

It is also possible to use straight powdered extracts, just remember to substitute the liquid tincture proportions with water instead in the recipe below.

We recommended using freshly ground flours or meal by placing your almonds, coconut and flaxseeds in a high speed blending device. A NutriBullet works well for this. The other option is to buy pre-ground almond flour, coconut flour and flax meal.

This recipe makes between 1 - 1 ½ dozen raw gingerbread cookies, depending on the size of your cookie cutter. We use a medium size cutter, which made 17 cookies total.

Gingerbread cookie cutters are very inexpensive and can be found at most kitchen supply stores or you can purchase a set of three different sizes from online suppliers.

(Remember, that if you choose to omit the he shou wu tincture, replace the proportions with water or use another tincture of choice.)

• 1 1/2C almond flour
  
• 1/2C coconut flour
• 2T ground flax meal
  
• 3T coconut sugar or maple sugar
• 1t ginger powder
• 1t cinnamon powder
• 1/4t clove powder
• 1/8t nutmeg powder
  
• 1/4t pink salt
• 1/2C coconut nectar or molasses
  
• 2T he shou wu liquid extract
• 2T finely grated ginger
• 1T melted coconut oil
• 1/2 a vanilla bean (cut and scrapped)

1. In a mixing bowl, blend together dry ingredients.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together, coconut nectar, scrapped vanilla bean paste, he shou wu liquid, melted coconut oil and grated ginger.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and thoroughly incorporate. This is your gingerbread cookie dough!
4. Ball up the dough with your clean hands and place on a dehydrator tray with a non-stick sheet and screen underneath. Take another sheet and place on top of the dough. Flatten the cookie dough by pressed down firmly and then take a rolling pin and roll over the dehydrator sheet until about 1/8-1/4 inch thick. Peel off the top sheet.
5. Get your gingerbread cookie cutter and press out your gingerbread men. Remove the excess dough around the men, it should peel off easily. Repeat until you use all of your raw nut dough.
6. Dehydrate for 3 hours on medium-heat setting then flip the cookie sheet over onto another tray with just a screen, peel off non-stick sheet.
   
7. Top-side up brush the cookies with a small amount of coconut oil and sprinkle with coconut sugar.
8. Allow to dehydrated on low-heat setting until firm and/or desired gingerbread cookie consistency is achieved. Usually about another 8-12 hours when using a low-heat setting.

The raw gingerbread cookie dough can even be pressed out onto a non-stick dehydrator sheet then rolled up and stored in the freezer for later use. Then, when you're ready to make your cookies, simply cookie cutter them and dehydrate.

These cookies make great holiday treats to share with family and friends or can be creatively wrapped as gifts.