These shortbread cookies are a delight and I can’t wait to share them on Christmas with my family! I started out thinking I’d make a cut-out Christmas cookie. And these very definitely fit the bill. But then I decided to add a fudgy frosting with stripes and dots. It is so easy to whip some up using carob powder. The combination of the Sunbutter (a delicious nut-butter made from sunflower seeds) in the cookie and the carob icing made me think of peanut butter cups–a favorite candy of mine from childhood days.
These cookies are tender but crunchy and take only about 10 minutes to bake. I let them slightly cool before decorating them with the Fudgy Carob Sauce. I think these will soon become a tradition at our house.
The carob sauce was a whiz to put together and tastes as good as any fudge sauce I’d ever had. I love carob because it’s naturally sweet plus it has many health perks (high in fiber, low in fat, and caffeine-free just to name a few).
CHEF’S NOTE: Use gluten-free oat flour if you desire a gluten-free cookie. The Fudgy Carob Sauce is naturally gluten-free.
Golden Sunbutter Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup fine oat flour
- 3 tbsp Sunbutter
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine all the ingredients in a medium-size mixing bowl. Mix together. The dough will be a little sticky and easy to mold into a large ball.
- Roll out between 2 sheets of wax paper.
- Cut cookies into any shape you prefer. I made round cookies, but feel free to use whatever shape you desire.
- Set cookies onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the bottoms are golden brown. Set aside to cool for a few minutes before decorating with our Fudgy Carob Sauce.
Oat Flour Health-Bite
What’s great about oat flour is it contains beta-glucans, which help to lower bad cholesterol. Beta-glucan is an extremely glutinous soluble fiber, so when it travels through your small intestine, it curbs the absorption of LDL, the bad cholesterol. This is why I include it on my list of “Food that Loves You Back.”
Diabetics will love using this whole grain as it is gentle on blood sugars. And if you are sensitive to gluten, gluten-free oat flour is a great substitute for wheat in most baking recipes.
FUDGY CAROB SAUCE
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup carob powder
- 2 tbsp GMO-free cornstarch
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Whisk the carob powder and cornstarch in a small saucepan.
- Add 1/2 cup of milk and whisk until smooth.
- Add remaining milk and maple syrup.. Whisk until smooth.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, while stirring, for about 3 minutes, untl the sauce thickens.
- Add the vanilla extract and blend well.
- Serve warm. Store leftover in an airtight container. Heat gently to serve again.
