This last minute gluten-free Almond Gingerbread Cookie Wreath makes for a beautiful Christmas table decoration and if you are looking to adopt a new tradition, it is a great for breaking with family and friends while spreading festive well-wishes and cheer.
Christmas is a wonderful time of the year. It’s a time when most of us stop to enjoy a little down time. It’s also a time to reflect on the year gone and create new memories with friends and family we might not often see.
This year will be no different, except for a couple of things influenced in no small way by the passage of time. Milestones of sorts if you wish. This year both kids are aware there is no Santa. Liana, who turned 11 just over a week ago, asked us the question earlier this month. We explained the story of St Nicolas to her and told her that Zac has been helping out with eating the cookies, milk and nibbling on the carrots in a reindeery fashion. She thought it was very nice of him to keep the secret and agreed that it is a lovely tradition to keep alive, hoping to leave some teeth marks in cookies and carrots for some of her younger cousins’ sake.
Next Christmas, also, I will have spent more of my life in Australia than I had in Poland. At this moment, I am still a white winter Christmas girl. I miss the cold and the 4pm sunsets, the smell of gingerbread baking in the early evening and looking out for the first star appearing in the sky on Christmas eve.
Having said that, Matt’s family have done an amazing job bringing in some of the Polish tradition into their home, bringing me to tears. Good, happy tears. And so there has been straw slipped under the tablecloth that signifies the straw in the manger. There has been a spare plate setting reserved for a weary traveller, a lonely neighbour or any one caring to join in for supper. And one of my favourite traditions, the breaking of the bread between family and friends, with well wishes are exchanged.
If you are looking to adopt a new tradition, this Almond Gingerbread Cookie Wreath is a great for breaking with family and friends while spreading festive well-wishes and cheer.
I hope you have a very Merry Christmas. Happy holidays! I hope this season brings you rest, peace, joy and quallity time spent with your loved ones.
See you in the new year!
Marty
Almond Gingerbread Cookie Wreath
Ingredients
- 200 g almond meal plus extra if needed, just under 2 cups
- 160 g gluten-free flour mix 1 cup
- 1 tablespoon gingerbread spice mix
- 1 teaspoon bicarb soda
- 80 g coconut oil or butter
- 100 g rice syrup or honey (if you use honey cookies will be sweeter)
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean powder or essence
- 2 egg yolks or 1/8 cup Greek style or coconut yoghurt
- a little water, if needed
To serve:
- 2 teapoons unrefined milled sugar or milled natvia for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C (160C fan-forced, 350F, gas mark 4). Line a baking sheet with baking paper.
- Place the almond meal, sifted gluten-free flour, spice mix and bicarb soda in a large bowl. Mix well. In another bowl whisk egg yolks for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Place coconut oil, rice syrup and vanilla in a small saucepan and heat on low, stirring, until the fat is melted, do not overheat or boil.
- Pour the mixture into the flours, add the egg yolks (or yoghurt) and mix well. Knead into a dough ball. If the mixture is too crumbly add a smidgen of water at a time, if it's too sticky, add a smidgen of almond meal.
- Roll out the dough to about 8mm thick on a sheet of baking paper. Using a cookie cutter cut out stars and arrange on the baking paper in a single layer circle, but pressing the corners together gently. Re-roll scraps until all dough is finished and place additional stars spaced about 2 stars apart on top of the original circle, pressing down gently. Bake for 12-13 minutes or until the stars turn golden.
- Cool on the cookie sheet placed on a wire rack. When ready to serve, gently lift one end of the wreath and wrap a piece of ribbon around the wreath into a bow. Dust the lot with icing sugar.
- The cookie wreath will keep for up to 2 days so you can make it in advance. Do not hang as it will break because the cookies are quite delicate.
6 comments
Merry Christmas to you too Martyna! This is stunning and I am adding it to the list of festive recipes to make. Thank you.
This recipe is really good! I made it tonight and it was not too sweet. Quite perfect actually for our liking. The spices were wonderful too. I can’t wait to share it at lunch tomorrow. Thanks for sharing.
That’s just beautiful! I’m having a crew of (very) oldies for lunch on Tuesday and I think they’ll like this. :)
This cookie wreath look incredible! Hopefully I have some time to squeeze this recipe in before Christmas day. Thanks for the idea!
WOW MARTY! This looks incredible – great any time of the year! This has been pinned to make for later :)
I love the way you put the bow for presentation, it complements how the cookies are arranged. How I wished I found this recipe before the holidays. It would have been perfect for our get togethers.