Hearty Gingersnaps

Business and I were in Ontario this past week for an Early Christmas. On what we called our Christmas - December 10th - my whole family and Business and I spent the day at my Mom and Dad's. First we did professional family photo's - a gift my sister, brother and I got for my parents.

Followed by the photos, we all chatted while the ladies put together some awesome appetizers. I had prepared some gluten free gingerbread men dough for the kids to make and then decorate, but amongst all the chatter I just didn't have time to make it happen. That's alright though, we had plenty of food anyway :)

The next day after church, we all gathered again at my Mom and Dad's and had a lunch of leftovers before heading to Niagara Falls to see the holiday light displays. The lights are something I haven't seen in a few years and I think I enjoyed the sights about as much as the kids did.

I baked the gingerbread dough just before leaving as little button gingersnaps and they turned out just perfectly.

Thank goodness for the walking and the cold weather. After all those gingersnaps I need the exercise and fresh air.


Hearty Buckwheat Gingersnaps (Or Gingerbread Men)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Ingredients:

2 2/3 cups buckwheat flour, plus some for rolling if you make cut outs
1/3 cup finely ground flax seeds
2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup coconut oil (melted) or butter (softened)
1/2 cup honey
1 egg, room temperature
2/3 cup molasses

Directions:

1. Combine together the buckwheat, flax seeds, all the spices, and salt. Set aside.
2. Whisk together the oil or butter, honey, egg and molasses.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
4. Form into a ball and wrap tightly in saran and refrigerate for at least one hour.
5. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
6. Either roll out dough on clean, lightly floured counter top and cut into shapes. Transfer shapes onto cookie sheets or form little balls of dough and place on cookie sheet, then press two ways with a wet fork.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 - 18 minutes depending on the thickness of the cookie. More time will make for a snappier gingersnap while less time with make for a more chewy molasses cookie.