For December, Try Cranberry Cardamon Cookies!
“Let food be thy medicine,and let medicinebe thy food.”
This famous quote is often attributed to Hippocrates, although there’s no actual proof he ever said it. But whoever did say it was brilliant! Everything we put in our bodies affects us, so not only can we nurture ourselves with food, we can heal and balance ourselves with it, too. It’s long been known that specific flavors support each of the Five Element energies. This month, we honor the amazing energy of Earth, the element that seasonally supports balance by counterbalancing opposites (solstices) and embracing equals (equinoxes). The taste that supports Earth is sweet (and starchy, too), which makes December an excellent time to enjoy relatively healthy sweet treats. And what could be more perfect this holiday season than cardamon cookies with cranberries?Even better, according to Michael Greger (in his book How Not to Die), wild blueberries and cardamom are some of the best foods you can give your immune system – blueberries increase the number of natural killer-cells in our body’s immune system and cardamon boosts their activity. (FYI, natural killer cells are a type of white blood cell that’s a vital member of the immune system’s rapid-response team against virus-infected and cancerous cells.) Even more important these days is that these natural killer cells don’t require prior exposure to a disease or virus to be activated. So in many ways, cardamon (and wild blueberries) are our new best friends!To make these soft cardamom cookies with cranberries you’ll only need 20 minutes of your time, a bowl, and a blender (plus an oven, of course). So, roll up your sleeves and get ready to help support your Earth energy (and your immune system) with these healthy and yummy Cranberry Cardamon Cookies courtesy of https://www.nutriplanet.org/2019/08/cardamom-cookies-vegan/. Bon Appetit!
Cranberry Cardamon Cookies
Dry Ingredients
½ cup rolled oats
3 tbsps. + 1 tsp. oat flour
3 tbsps. + 1 tsp. mesquite flour
6 tbsps. coconut flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
⅛ tsp. ground cardamon
¼ tsp. Himalayan salt
Wet Ingredients
3 juicy dates (½ oz each)
24 drops of liquid stevia (or 2 tbsp. date sugar)
5.8oz additive-free oat milk
2.8oz additive-free nut butter of your choice
½ cup fresh or frozen cranberries
Directions
In a medium bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.
In a regular blender, process the wet ingredients until well incorporated.
Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients and mix until you have a homogeneous batter. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate for at least half an hour.
Heat the oven to 350°F.
After chilling the dough, mix in the frozen cranberries. (If using fresh cranberries, fold them in before chilling the dough.)
Now, start shaping the dough into about 1.5oz cookies. To do this, form a cookie ball between your palms and then press it down a little. Place the cookies on a baking pan lined with parchment paper, then press the cookies down with a dessert fork.
Bake for 16 minutes until golden brown. Place the lightly browned cookies on a rack to cool completely.
These cookies can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For longer keeping, freeze the cookies and heat them up in a microwave (for soft cookies) or a regular oven (for crispy cookies) whenever needed. Enjoy!Nutritional Facts of One Serving (one cookie) Calories:115.5, Sugar:5.4g, Sodium:70.9g, Fat:4.9g,Saturated Fat:1.3g, Carbohydrates:11.3g, Fiber:4g, Protein:3.5g, Cholesterol:0g.