These cookies are inspired by the thirteen flavours of Christmas in Provençe where it’s traditional to have thirteen desserts on offer at Christmas — one for Jesus and each of his twelve apostles. For those of us celebrating Winter Solstice and Yule more than Christmas, the thirteen flavours of Christmas could be considered to represent the thirteen full moons in a year. As the year draws to a close, your winter celebrations can include thirteen deserts/dishes to bring to mind the passing of each full moon of the latest annual cycle.
Traditionally, the thirteen flavours include goodies made from dried fruits, nuts and oranges, hence the ingredients of these delicious midwinter cookies, which combines a few of the flavours in one plate of scrumptious cookies. As an added indulgence, when they’ve cooled down top them with melted dark chocolate.
Ingredients to make 12 cookies
- 3oz/85g butter
- 2oz/56g fructose
- 1 egg, beaten
- 6oz/170g plain flour
- ½ tsp baking power
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ½-1 tbs orange peel, grated
- 2-3 tbs orange juice
- 4oz/113g dates, very finely chopped
- 2oz/56g hazelnuts, roughly crushed
1. Cream the butter and fructose.
2. Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, egg and orange peel. Bind together, adding orange juice to achieve a mixable but stiff and sticky mixture.
3. Stir in the dates.
4. Drop dollops of the mixture onto a greased baking tray and bake at gas mark 4/180°C for 30 minutes.
5. Transfer to a wire rack to cool before storing in an airtight container.
4. Drop dollops of the mixture onto a greased baking tray and bake at gas mark 4/180°C for 30 minutes.
5. Transfer to a wire rack to cool before storing in an airtight container.
Categories: recipes
