Almond Fig Cardamom-Chocolate Cookies (GF)
85 degree weather hardly deters me from baking, though it may have to wait until sundown on these steamy September days. We just got back from our wonderful summer vacation on the East Coast a month ago and while I do long for the autumn crispness, I enjoy creating autumn warmth in my home wherever I am and thus, in my culinary creations.
We had a very full week leading into a full weekend. I sang in my dear friend Nicole’s outdoor wedding Saturday. The ceremony was led by a Native American Elder invoking all plant life, animal life, and humans alike to witness such a beautiful union. Any nerves I had about singing at such a special event were gone the moment I picked up that microphone, and most assuredly, once we hit the dance floor later that night!
Sunday rolled around, and all I wanted to do was bake all day!!! It truly feels like a nest is being woven around me while I pour and stir and crack and knead. Inspired by seasonal finds that morning at the Hillcrest Farmer’s Market, these plump yellow figs found their way into my sweet pot of textured relations Sunday eve, and then onward to a friends musical gathering by the nearly full moonlight. Figs are full of fiber, high in calcium, potassium, and antioxidants. The leaves are also edible and perhaps even more nutritious than the fruit! Said to be Cleopatra’s favorite food, figs and almonds both are thought to contain aphrodisiac components and be symbols of fertility. Sumptuous and delicious!
My greatest, most beloved substitute for wheat and other types of flour is almond flour. It is light, yet not dry, flavorful yet not overbearing like chickpea flour, and digests so well. Bob’s Red Mill blanched almond flour is available in bulk at Whole Foods for $6.99 a LB. You can also purchase blanched almond flour in bulk online here. For my sweetener, I’ve switched largely to Grade B Maple Syrup these days because it’s so moist and smooth. I was using Coconut Palm Sugar a lot more which I still highly recommend as a healthy and low glycemic sweetener, but in this heat, it left my creations too dry. Sometimes now, I will combine a blend of both, because anywhere the maple syrup may be sparse, the ghee certainly takes the healthful oily lead.
Domestic Liberation is always welcomed and I am thrilled to create my own Autumnal cozy sphere, meanwhile dreaming of fertile forests and misty cool breezes beyond the reaches of opulent palm fronds and the hummingbird’s delightful parade.
Let me know what you think of these cakey cookies!
Recipe:
First mix dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl.
Base:
2 1/2 cups almond flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cardamom
1 cup chocolate chips (I purchased the Green & Black Hazelnut and Currant Dark Chocolate bar, and chopped it up for my chips!)
1 Tbs cacao powder (optional)
Then mix wet ingredients in a smaller mixing bowl:
2 eggs
1/3 cup melted butter or ghee
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup chopped fresh figs (add at the end. so many at the farmer’s market right now!)
Then add the wet ingredients to the dry. Now add the fresh figs to the batter.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!!
