RAISIN CHOCOLATE CHIP PALEO COOKIE

Even though Spring arrived this week, the weather is still winter with cold and snow. One needs no better excuse to make cookies. I decided to make these cookies as they are paleo and I like the combination of raisins, chocolate chips and shredded coconut. You don't have to add the chocolate chips. They are a great substitute for oatmeal raisin cookies. I found this recipe in "Against all Grain" which has many interesting recipes.

I used a vegetable shortening and there are other options including palm shortening or butter. I used palm sugar instead of honey as the sweetener. The cookies have a darker colour as the palm sugar is brown in colour. To make the golf ball size dough for each cookie, I used a cookie scooper but didn't fill it all the way to the top. I made 14 cookies and used the convection setting on the oven at 350 degrees F. The cookies turned out great and we enjoyed them.

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup shortening
1 egg, room temperature
1/3 cup honey or palm sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract 
4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1 cup blanched almond flour
2 tbsp coconut flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup raisins or 1/3 cup raisins and 1/3 cup chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  

Using either a mixmaster or an electric hand mixer, mix the shortening and egg in a bowl for one minute on a high speed. Add the honey and vanilla and mix for another minute or until creamy. 

In another small bowl, add the cinnamon, nutmeg, flours, baking soda and salt and combine using a mixing spoon. Add this dry mixture to the wet mixture and mix for another minute until it is all combined. Scape the sides down with a spatula if required. Add the coconut, raisins and chocolate chips (if using). Mix again until everything is combined.

Line a cookie/baking sheet with parchment paper. Place a spoonful of batter, about the size of a golf ball, onto the parchment paper. Once you have placed all of the golf ball size cookie batter along the baking sheet, take a piece of parchment paper, place over each cookie and gently press down using the back of a spatula. Press them into circles, about 1/4 inch thick. The cookies don't spread when baking so you don't need much room between each cookie.

Bake for 12 minutes or until the edges are starting to brown. Makes 12 to 14 cookies depending on the amount of batter you use for each cookie.

Adapted from "Against all Grain" cookbook