Warming up winter with ginger spiced cookies

It’s winter, the rain gauge is about to overflow and there is no way I’m stepping foot outside the back door today let alone playing in the garden. So it’s the perfect time to play with some of my favourite ingredients: spices.

I mentioned their amazing benefits during my turmeric chai latte recipe post, as well as my guest blog for Mura Pathway to Wellness. Just to summarise, spices can be used to  lower blood sugar levels, reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer, treat headaches and toothaches, and are anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antibacterial and high in antioxidants. 

This ginger spiced cookie recipe features cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom, which are all known as warming spices because they raise the body’s temperature – just what you need when it’s cold and rainy. 

I’ve also used black molasses, which has its own range of health benefits thanks to a healthy dose of iron, calcium, magnesium, vitamin B6, and selenium. The molasses and coconut sugar lend a rich caramelly flavour to the cookies. If you don’t have any besan or tapioca flour handy, 2½ cups of normal plain flour or gluten free plain flour will do. The chia seeds will work fine whole or ground. Powdered ginger can be used instead of fresh.

Super unattractive when wet...

Perfect once baked.

Ginger spiced cookies

½ cup black molasses

½ cup coconut sugar

2 tablespoons margarine

1 cup besan flour

1½ cups tapioca flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp grated ginger

¼ tsp cinnamon

¹/₈ tsp ground cloves

¹/₈ tsp ground cardamom

1 tbs chia seeds

Preheat the oven to 160° Celsius fan forced. If you don’t have a silicon baking mat, lightly grease your baking tray.

Gently melt the molasses, sugar and marg together in a small saucepan on the stove, and let them cool slightly.

Put the chia seeds in a small bowl, add three tablespoons of water and set aside for five minutes.

Mix the flours, baking soda and spices in a bowl, and stir in the syrup and chia seeds. Use a dessert spoon to dollop the dough in small mounds on the tray. Don’t worry about shaping them, they’ll cook into a nice shape anyway.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until the house smells all lovely and gingery, allow to cool and enjoy with a pot of chai tea.