GLUTEN FREE and SUGAR FREE Coconut, Date & Hazelnut Cookies

This week I have been doing some more experimentation with gluten free recipes for my Dad who is visiting, and am happy to present to you this recipe for cookies. I find using a mixture of coconut flour and tapioca flour work wonderfully, both for taste and texture. The coconut flour adds a gorgeous sweetness and 'lightness' to baked goods, though on its own can be very sticky (sticks to the baking tray very easily), but combined with tapioca flour the resulting goods turn out pretty similar to biscuits that have been made with regular wheat flour and desiccated coconut. I guess you could compare these to coconut macaroons, though with less of the 'coconutty' texture as the flour is much finer than desiccated coconut. Anyway, they are sweet, biscuity, nutty, and slightly chewy on account of the dates. Yummy! And of course, as with all my recipes, they contain no sugar as the sweetness comes from the coconut flour, dates and honey.

What you will need:

125g butter

4 tblsp honey

4 large free-range eggs

1 large banana

4 tblsp natural yoghurt

1 tsp baking powder

75g coconut flour

75g tapioca flour

50g dates

50g chopped hazelnuts

Method:

Melt the butter and mix with the eggs and honey in a large bowl.

Mash the banana and add to the bowl.

Add the coconut flour, tapioca flour, baking powder and natural yoghurt to the bowl, and mix using a wooden spoon.

Finely chop the dates and add to the bowl, along with the chopped hazelnuts. Mix well.

Using your hands, shape the mixture into small balls and flatten on a baking tray (I use a silicone baking tray as it prevents the mixture from sticking - alternatively you can use a well-greased tray or baking parchment). Pop into a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 25-30 minutes until golden and firm to the touch.