Gingerbread Pillow Cookies
Nothing like a last minute holiday post, amiright!? But seriously these are THE best gingerbread cookies in existence. They are crisp on the outside, pillowy on the inside (hence the name) and are the perfect vehicle for peanut butter, coconut yogurt, etc. While this is not an original recipe, I've tweaked it a bit to accommodate what I have in my pantry/fridge (it came somewhere from the depths of Pinterest, and every year I scroll through my screenshots on my phone to find it). Also, keep in mind that these are not "healthy" cookies, which I am totally fine with. I try to maintain optimal balance between healthy living and REALLY LIVING, that I will not pass up flavor for healthier ingredients. I HOPE YOU MAKE THESE AND LOVE THEM AS MUCH AS I DO! Happy Holidays!
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour ( I like to do 2 cups APF, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour but this is optional)
1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick) (you could try subbing coconut oil, but I always make them with butter)
1/2 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
1 egg (ideally pasture raised, organic)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ginger powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice (I like to add a dash extra)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cloves
Prep:
Preheat oven to 350F
To make these, you could be really fancy and separate the dry ingredients from the wet before fully combining, but I like to keep things simple and mix everything together in my food processor. HOWEVER, I do start by creaming together the butter, sugar, molasses, honey, egg and vanilla extract.
Once wet ingredients are fully incorporated, slowly add the flour and other dry ingredients to the mixture. Combine until there are no clumps.
Allow dough to rest in the fridge for 10-30 minutes before forming cookies.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Form the dough into ping pong-sized balls (do not flatten them!), with space in between. Bake for 8-11 minutes. Cookies will come out of the oven soft, that is normal. They will firm up on the outside once they cool.
Enjoy!
