I meant to post the pineapple picture for a week. We were leaving to Israel and –is this weird? – I don’t like to advertise when we’re going away. DW calls me a “a healthy mix between constructive paranoid and psycho.” Possibly…
So I put up the photograph, and finished packing our bags.
It was supposed to be a relatively simple, fun family-reunion.
But then it all went pear-shaped.
First there was a family emergency. Five days of hell, while we waited for tests results and all kinds of levels to rise, fall and generally even out.
Then there was the aftermath when we all looked at one another in a state of shock and tried to enjoy what was left of the ummm holiday (?). However, nobody told Vida Lev that sleeping in was an option, so we remained exhausted even after three days at the beach.
I will say this: it wasn’t all bad. Vida swam in the ocean for the first time. She tried all kinds of interesting and fun things: petting her grandmother’s cat, watermelon, proper Middle Eastern hummus. Our little girl also took her first steps.
And in the middle of it all, I baked cookies.
There was something wonderfully soothing about mixing together the ingredients, sticking them in the oven, waiting for them to cool and then enjoying them. The mundane amidst the chaos reminds us that somewhere out there, life is still going on as normal.
Originally these cookies were intended so that Vida Lev would have something to nosh on when she got hungry in her pram. But when my grandmother tasted one and promptly requested that I show my mother how to make them, I thought I might be on to something. The deal was sealed when my brother – who hates raisins – happily polished them off.
Everyday Cookies
Preheat the oven to 175 Centigrade / 350 Fahrenheit
In a large mixing bowl, combine the following ingredients:
- 1 ½ - 2 cups ground almonds (less makes for a softer cookie, more makes for a heartier one)
- 2 t vanilla (I use pure vanilla bean powder)
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil
- ½ cup raisins
- ¼ cup maple syrup
Once those are well-combined, add
- 1 egg*
Using an ice cream scoop, drop the cookie batter on a non-stick baking sheet in even mounds. Flatten lightly with a wet fork (optional).
Bake for 9-11 minutes, depending on your oven. The cookies should come out of the oven slightly browned around the edges but still soft.
Allow to cool completely before serving.
* Note: a friend of mine made these without the egg (I simply forgot to mention it on the ingredients’ list). In her words: “These cookies are going to be a problem… We made them, licked the bowl clean and ate five between us.”
So I’m going to try this (vegan) version next time.
To my friend, I would like to say: Dearest, after the month that just passed, believe me, those should be our problems :)
UPDATE
I have now made these cookies without the egg -- so completely vegan. In fact, I even omitted the vanilla by accident (15 minutes to baby's bed time, empty fridge, food needed for tomorrow's outing -- you do the math). DW agreed to be the taster. He proclaimed them "Oh My God" and "better than with the egg," saying they tasted "buttery," and "like shortbread." I'll take that as a yes.
Without the egg, I baked the cookies as instructed above for 11 minutes. Then I turned the tray around, switched off the oven and left them in for another 10 or so.
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