Between the snow on the ground and the the flipping of the calendar month into December I can feel and imagine the hurry scurry of people trying to get ready for Dec. 25. I have mixed feelings about the holiday season we have created! Mmmm maybe because I am old ?
The last few years I have made a conscientious effort to give gifts, in the form of gift certificates or products, for items made or grown on Manitoulin Island or at least Canadian.
Making a meal and sharing it with a senior is, I find, another way to celebrate a special day or time. Giving and sharing healthy consumable and other renewable products is my way of reducing our impact on the environment. We all need to be in this together for us and our future generations.
The two recipes that I am sharing are for either “camps.” One is for the “I am going all out with sugar, butter and eggs” and the other recipe is “gluten and dairy free” but over the top with extra ingredients! Enjoy.
Festive Lemon-Ginger Squares
My two favourite ingredients: lemon and ginger. A marriage made in heaven! Don’t forget to use parchment paper so when the squares are cool you can lift them out, place on a cutting board and slice them into squares. Much easier to cut and very little clean up.
7-oz (200-g) pkg gingersnap cookies
11/2 cup almonds or hazelnuts or your choice of nut
1/4 cup brown sugar (optional because cookies are sweet enough)
1/4 cup butter, melted
4 (8-oz/250-g) pkgs cream cheese, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
Finely grated peel of 1 lemon
1/2 cup freshly squeezed
lemon juice
Preheat oven to 325°F. Use a 9×13-inch pan. Line the pan with parchment paper leaving extra on the edges so you can lift the whole, cooled squares right out of the pan, or grease the sides and bottom of the pan.
Place cookies in a food processor and whirl until finely chopped. It should be about 2 cups. Add the nuts, brown sugar (if adding) and butter. Pulse until nuts are coarsely chopped. Firmly pat cookie mixture over pan bottom and bake in the oven until the edges are lightly browned 14 to 16 min.
Meanwhile, to make the filling, place cream cheese in a medium bowl and use the beaters to whip the cream cheese while slowly adding the sugar until the mixture is smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, lemon peel and juice and blend until smooth.
When the crust is done spread the filling over the hot crust and bake until the centre seems barely set when pan is jiggled, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven. To minimize cracking of the surface immediately run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan. Cool.
Squares will keep in the fridge for up to a week or a freezer up to 1 month.
Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter Cookies
These cookies are over the top for that special occasion. You can substitute with any nut or seed butter but it needs to be “natural” with salt being the only extra ingredient. To make a flax egg the directions are at the bottom of the recipe. The flax egg needs time to gel so mix it together before you start with the recipe.
1/4 cup coconut oil, soft-
ened (not melted)
3 Tbsp natural peanut
butter or your choice
1/2 cup coconut or date
sugar
1 flax egg (see tip) or 1
large egg, at room
temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
11/4 cups blanched
almond flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup crushed plain
potato chips
2 ounces chocolate chips
1/4 cup roasted peanuts,
coarsely chopped or nuts
of your choice
Flaky sea salt, for
sprinkling (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
In a mixing bowl mix the coconut oil, peanut butter, and coconut sugar until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until smooth.
Add the almond flour, salt and baking soda and stir until well mixed. Fold in the potato chips, chocolate chips and peanuts.
Use a large cookie scoop or spoon to form rounded cookies. Put them on the cookie sheet and gently press to flatten slightly. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt if using. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until the cookies are golden brown around the edges.
Let the cookies cool completely before moving them. Sore in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
To make the flax egg, whisk 1 Tbsp ground flax seed with 21/2 Tbsp water. Set aside for at least 10 minutes to give the mixture time to gel.
