One of my favorite holidays is Purim. It’s like a Jewish Halloween. You get to dress up in costume AND eat cookies. My grandmother used to make hamantaschen, the official cookie of Purim, when we were in the Ukraine. I hardly knew what it meant to be Jewish, but I knew that it meant we ate these delicious triangular cookies.  

Now I am all grown up (arguable). My grandmother has died…No one is making these anymore… I have been craving partaking in the sweetness of this holiday and being gluten free presented some challenges…

I wanted to make these in a version that actually tasted good and wouldn’t be loaded with too much sugar or flours that are high on the glycemic index.  This past year I have added the extra challenge of making these vegan since I can’t eat eggs either. I am happy to share my adaptation of a recipe from The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook.

These were so yummy and satisfying that I felt like I was back in my grandmother’s kitchen…well, almost… I was missing the diabetes and her…  🙂

Chopped Apricots
Chopped Apricots

Ingredients
Filling:
1 cup dried currants
1.5 cups water
2 medium apples, diced into quarter inch cubes
6 pieces of lemon rind, 1 inch long by 1/4 inch wide
1 cup dried apricots processed into 1/4 inch pieces

Dough:

Dough
Dough

3 cups blanched Almond Flour 
1/2 teaspoon sea or Himalayan salt
1/2 cup of melted Coconut Oil
1 tablespoon of maple syrup (2, if you want sweeter dough)
1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds dissolved in 3 tablespoons of water
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

 

Method:
To make the filling, purée the currants and water in a blender until smooth. In a medium saucepan, combine the current mixture, apples, lemon rind, and dried apricots. If you don’t like chopping apricots. Toss them into the Food Processor and pulse until desired consistency.

cooking down the filling
cooking down the filling

Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the apples are soft, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

While the filling is cooking…  
Make the dough. Combine the almond flour and salt in a large bowl. Any medium bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, maple syrup, flaxseed mixture, and vanilla. Stir the wet ingredients into the almond flour mixture until well combined.

Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and press onto the prepared baking sheets to form 1/8 inch thick discs.
Scoop 1 teaspoon of the filling onto each circle of dough. Fold the dough in from three sides and pinch the corners to form a triangle.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until lightly golden. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 1 hour, then serve.

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