I’d been meaning to try this recipe for a while now.
Well, ever since I saw it on Nora’s site, that is. So let’s see, that’s a good… erm… yeah, like I said, a while!
But I think I was intimidated by the fact that it calls for teff, and I’d never used teff before, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.
I’d bought a bag back in July and it was still sitting pretty in my pantry, all shiny and unopened that it was. I guess that, given the fact that I’ll be going grain free for so long, I sort of got this urge to finally try it. Hey, what if I decided to completely go off grains and never got to try teff in my entire life? 
Now that would be a shame! So I finally got that bag opened and decided to give that new grain a try. First in this super creamy Buckwheat Risotto, then in the form of this yummy cookie, right here.
I must admit after the first bite, I wasn’t all that convinced. After the second one either…
I mean, I really liked the texture and all. It was really soft and chewy, plus, since I ground my own teff with a coffee grinder, the resulting flour was somewhat coarse and that conferred some sort of a grainy feel to the cookies, which I really, really liked. It reminds me a little bit of the texture of fig seeds. (Now Erin, darlin’, you might want to pass on that one… ;) )
But I sort of expected more of a “spicy” flavor, more gingerbread like, I guess. But much to my surprise, the flavor was very delicate, subtle. Not bland, but not the explosion of spices that I’d been anticipating.
However, after eating two or three more, I sort of got hooked. No, scratch that. I really got totally hooked. So much so, I now think it’s a shame that I won’t be able to make another batch for at least a month and a half.
Oh, and I’ll give you a little tip… they are absolutely FANTASTIC with almond butter. There is something about the combination of flavors that just throws you to the floor. It’s plain unbelievable. But don’t take my word for it. Try it for yourself!
I might never be able to give up on grains for good, now. Well, the good thing is, at least, teff is gluten free.
So if I eventually decided to reinstate grains but leave gluten out, I’ll be able to have them again!
And that, well, is what I call good news!
RAISIN & SPICE TEFF COOKIES
(Adapted from Natural Noshing)
INGREDIENTS
(Makes 2 dozen cookies)
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- ½ cup (4) egg whites
- 1 tsp gluten free vanilla extract
- ¼ cup ground chia seeds
- 1½ cup teff flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup raisins (I used Thompson)
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, mix together the applesauce, egg whites, vanilla and ground chia seeds and set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the teff flour, salt, spices, and baking powder. Mix until very well incorporated and stir in raisins and pumkin seeds. Set aside.
- Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients, then stir to combine.
- Drop the cookie dough by the the teaspoonful onto the prepared baking sheet, about 1½ inches apart from each other. Dip a fork in warm water and use the tines to press down the center of the cookies (you can skip this step and make the cookies into little mounds).
- Bake for 8 – 12 minutes until the cookies are set. Mounds will require a slightly longre cooking time. Make sure not to overbake, the cookies have to remain soft and chewy in the middle.
- Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container, for up to 10 days.
INGREDIENTS
