Pistachio-Crusted Orange and Dark Chocolate Cookies

Makes 48 cookies

Allergen-Free Cookies for Dessert

Don’t have coconut sugar? Use granulated sugar for equally yummy cookies. Recipe excerpted with permission from The Gluten-Free Revolution: A Balanced Guide to a Gluten-Free Lifestyle through Healthy Recipes, Green Smoothies, Yoga, Pilates, and Easy Desserts! by Caroline Shannon-Karasik (Skyhorse Publishing, Inc., 2014).

1 flaxseed egg (1 Tbs. flaxseed meal plus 3 Tbs. warm water)

1 cup coconut sugar

Zest and juice of 1 medium orange

1 cup vegan butter substitute

1½ cups almond meal

1 cup white rice flour

¼ tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1 cup vegan chocolate chips

¼ cup unsweetened dairy-free milk (e.g., almond, coconut, hemp)

1/3 cup unsalted pistachios, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare two baking sheets by lining with parchment paper or baking mats. Set aside.
2. Combine flaxseed meal and warm water in small bowl, then set aside.
3. Add coconut sugar, orange zest and juice, and vegan butter into medium bowl. Combine ingredients with mixer on medium speed. Add in flaxseed mixture, almond meal, white rice flour, sea salt, and baking powder, mixing again on medium speed until ingredients are just combined. Do not over-mix, or dough will become tough.
4. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet. Freeze for 5 minutes. After removing from freezer, press center of each cookie with thumb, then place tray into oven. Bake 18-20 minutes, until golden brown.
5. While cookies are baking, measure chocolate chips and dairy-free milk into small pot. Place over low heat, whisking constantly until mixture becomes smooth. Immediately remove from heat to avoid burning.
6. After cookies have been removed from oven, drizzle chocolate over each, and sprinkle with crushed pistachios. Freeze to solidify chocolate before serving.

per cookie: 213 cal; 2g pro; 14g total fat (4g sat fat); 23g carb; 0mg chol; 136mg sod; 2g fiber; 13g sugars

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