Raisin NOatmeal Cookies

You can never predict what some combinations of ingredients will create - even when the recipes are in much-lauded cookbooks by respected chefs, I've had some horrible flops mixed in with the expected successes. When you're heading into the realm of specialty cooking, especially specialty baking, yet another wrench gets thrown into the mix. Things normally reliant on ingredients like butter, sugar, eggs and flour have to be carefully toyed with, as they don't generally take kindly to being eliminated. Of course, there are the tried and true substitutes out there which do a fabulous job, and are often what I turn to for a recipe modification.

Then there are those recipes that are so out of the realm of "usual" that traditional bakers look at them and think "this can't possibly turn out". When I see the "special diet" formulae for spectacular-looking treats claiming to be "just like (insert name of decadent food here)", especially if they eschew almost everything that makes the finished product recognizable, I have to hesitate and wonder if by making them I'm just setting myself up for disaster (and possibly an oven cleaning). If I'm reviewing a cookbook, though, I muscle through the recipes as written to give an honest opinion, and while not all of them are stunning successes (some don't even turn out), I have been pleasantly surprised.

This was the case when I made cookies from Cooking for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet: Over 100 Easy, Healthy, and Delicious Recipes that are Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free, and Grain-Free for the first time. Without grains, sugar or dairy, relying on almond butter as a base and coconut as the main textural agent, there doesn't look like there is really anything "cookie-ish" about them - nor do they appear to be able to form anything other than a goopy mess without some form of flour-like substance. However, lo and behold, they turned out to be the sleeper hit of the party - tender without falling apart, rich tasting with a "grainy" feel like your usual cookies. I made some alterations to the original based on my family's needs and tastes (as well as reducing the yield), but the outcome is the same - decadent, "normal-looking" cookies that make your home smell just like a bakery while cooking and taste even better!

Shared with Allergy Free Wednesdays hosted by Nancy @ Real Food Allergy Free, Tessa @ Tessa Domestic Diva, Michelle @ The Willing Cook, Laura @ Laura’s Gluten Free Pantry, Amber @ The Tasty Alternative, Janelle @ Gluten Freely Frugal and Adrienne @ Whole New Mom

Raisin NOatmeal Cookies 
Makes 12
½ cup smooth roasted cashew butter
2 tbsp dark amber honey (I used avocado honey)
1 tsp Homemade Egg Replacer (or 1 egg yolk, if avoiding grains)
1 tbsp warm water
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp Goldschläger liqueur (optional)
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut
¼ tsp baking soda
⅓ cup dark raisins, soaked in hot water and drained well

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment or SilPat.
2. In a bowl, mix together the cashew butter, honey, egg replacer, water, vanilla, liqueur, cinnamon and salt until well combined.
3. Stir in the coconut, baking soda and raisins.
4. Scoop 1-2 tbsp sized balls onto the sheet, spacing about 1” apart. With wet fingers, flatten the tops slightly.
5. Bake 10-11 minutes.
6. Cool on the sheet for 10 minutes, then carefully move to a cooling rack.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 96.7
Total Fat: 5.9 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 2.8 mg
Total Carbs: 10.0 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.5 g
Protein: 2.1 g

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