Vanilla Shortbread Biscuits

These vanilla biscuits do not contain any animal products, they are refined-sugar-free and gluten-free. Yet, they will satisfy your sweet tooth, I promise! With a unique combination of flavors, the biscuits make a perfect edible gift for your loved ones.

This recipe asks for coconut oil instead of butter that is usually used in the classical version of the shortbread cookies. The coconut oil adds a hint of coconut flavor to the biscuits. The recommended flour in this recipe is a mixture of oat flour and quinoa flour. Both flours are high in nutritional value and are gluten-free. Indeed, quinoa flour has a specific bitter taste that may not be appealing to everyone. Luckily, this taste is overpowered by the vanilla flavor and it is impossible to detect.

The sweetness of the biscuits comes from the stevia. Similarly to the quinoa flour, stevia is characterized by a specific taste that most people describe as bitter-sweet. The bitterness of stevia is often related to its aftertaste. Nonetheless, I find that when used in moderate quantities and combined with honey and vanilla, the flavor characteristics of stevia change and its taste becomes very pleasant and refreshing. Not only is stevia a healthier option than regular white sugar, but it also offers a flavor to the baked goods apart from just sweetness.

Ingredients:

For the biscuits:

• 80 g oat flour

• 70 g quinoa flour

• 80 g coconut oil (cold)

• 15 g stevia

• 1 tsp honey

• 1 tsp vanilla bean powder

For the decoration:

• 50 g dark chocolate

• goji berries

• pistachios

Preparation:

1. Add the cold coconut oil, the two types of flours and the stevia together. Rub the oil into the dry ingredients using your fingers.

2. Once a rough dough starts to come together, add the honey and the vanilla.

3. Form a dough and roll it out. To do so, I usually use my fingers as the dough is quite soft.

4. Next, cut out forms and arrange the biscuits on a baking sheet.

5. Bake at 180 degrees C for 7-8 minutes (or until you notice that the biscuits become golden at the edges).

6. Leave them to cool down before proceeding with the decoration.

7. For the decoration, all you need is to melt your dark chocolate. Coat the biscuits (or parts of them) into chocolate and sprinkle crushed pistachios and goji berries on top. Of course, any type of nuts and dried berries would work, so it is the place for you to get creative!

8. Allow the chocolate to set before enjoying these delicious healthy treats!

The recipe makes around 30 small heart-shaped vanilla biscuits.

Remarks:

1. I recommend you put the coconut oil in the fridge 10 minutes prior to starting the biscuit preparation. That way, you will allow it to cool and make its handling much easier.

2. The coconut oil will begin to soften when you start rubbing it into the flour due to the heat coming from your hands. This is completely normal and it will not affect the final biscuits.

3. I find that using honey allows the biscuits to soften over time and it also balances the bitter aftertaste of stevia. However, to make the biscuits vegan, you can try replacing honey with maple syrup or other liquid sweetener of your choice.