Well I hopped on the scales this morning (generally I don’t do the scales unless I’m trying to lose baby weight or it’s the end of winter). But today I’m a kilo down and just feeling better all over. I’d say giving the cookies, tiny teddies, lollies, bread and chocolate a miss this week has paid off. But it hasn’t been easy. I won’t lie…some headaches and feeling a bit ordinary on the days I had no sugar. So then what did I do? Bake some cookies. Of course I did. Crazy. You don’t have to tell me that because as I write it I realise how crazy it sounds. But truth be told I’m quickly trying to increase my repertoire of gluten free goodies since there are no biscuits in the house.
I’ve converted the delicious almond crescent biscuit recipe from Little Kitchen Around the World by Sabrina Parrini (fabulous family friendly/kids cookbook) to the thermomix and it was a winner. There are a few differences because you’re using whole almonds and raw sugar rather than almond meal and caster and icing sugar. And when I do my almond meal in the thermomix I go for the rustic look which is something like this…….
These are really tasty and I like that my almond meal is a bit more rustic than store bought which makes my cookies look a bit more homemade – that and the misshaped crescents just adds to the whole ‘I made it myself’ look. After I made them I thought to myself that some orange or lemon rind would have been amazing and perhaps a little vanilla too. Next time.
- 300g raw almonds
- 140g raw sugar (or raw caster sugar)
- 2 egg whites
- extra raw sugar or icing sugar for dusting
- Place almonds in TM bowl and process for 10 seconds on speed 9. Set aside
- Place raw sugar in TM bowl and process for 10 seconds on speed 9. Add in almonds and process 5 seconds speed 4 to combine.
- If you don't have a thermomix then combine almond meal and raw caster sugar together in a bowl.
- Meanwhile whisk those egg whites until stiff peaks form. I do this in my kitchen aid but you can do it however you usually do your egg whites. Whatever works.
- Tip out the sugar/almond mixture to a large bowl and add in the egg whites. Be a little gentle but you want everything combined.
- Take a small amount of mixture (say a tablespoon) and roll into a little log and then bend into a crescent and place directly onto lined baking trays.
- Bake in a 170C/340F oven for about 12 to 15 minutes or so until they are golden on the bottom (my oven always does the bottoms first so be careful) and cooked through but not overcooked. You're not looking for golden all over just cooked.
- Cool on a rack - I do this just by sliding the paper onto my cooling rack with the cookies on it and then leave for about 10 minutes. You might want to taste test one or two
- Now make some icing sugar by placing a few tablespoons of raw sugar in your TM bowl and process for 25-30 seconds on speed 9. If you don't have a thermomix just use some icing sugar.
- Roll the crescents in the icing sugar and serve. Delicious with tea or coffee and when people come over.
- Just watch if you are taking these to church or parties because of nut allergies these days. These might be gluten and dairy free but they have nuts in them:)
Oh yum! These look so delicious. I can’t wait to try them… and even better that they are gluten-free too! Thanks
they are so delicious and sweet! hanging out to have some this morning:)
Love your blog and your yummy recipes. How fab converting your recipes to gluten free! I am trying to cut down on the amount of sugar in my children’s diet as I am realising just how much sugar is in everything. Do you have any tips? Thanks
well I’m reading labels and buying books from amazon! not so sure the amazon thing is the budget friendly option:) get on pinterest and make a board and go from there. There are some great blogs and for me it’s making things from scratch, ditching the premade stuff and the little bags and containers and getting back to basics. I also love maple syrup in my baking. I am slowly making things less sweeter and hoping that will help too!
mind you these biscuits have a big dose of sugar! good luck!
Wow, another delicious treat to try!
Thanks for all of the gluten and dairy free recipes you are trying. I have a good childhood friend who is both dairy and gluten free and I can’t wait to bake your recipes for her next time she pops around for a cup of tea.
Can’t wait for the next one
oh yay! I must admit I’ve never thought about things being gluten free for visitors but am just loving trying different things and mucking around
Corrie:)
Long time reader, first time commenter
I baked these bickies yesterday with the bacon, carrot and onion slice that you posted earlier and both recipes were delicious. Thank you. These will be so helpful in my house as my 21 year old son has a dairy and gluten intolerance – the dairy affects him immediately but the gluten builds up slowly. His reaction is similar to aspergers – can’t think straight (says it’s like his head is in a fog), can’t complete sentences, gets angry easily and even has an auditory ‘twitch’. When he’s off dairy and gluten, he’s a really sweet, considerate and calm young man. Wow, lucky I don’t comment often – this has turned into epic saga! Love your blog and your adorable family. xx
oh thank you so much, lovely to hear from you
It’s fascinating what I’m learning about gluten and really our diet is so reliant on it and yet it’s not in other countries.
Sometimes I get a bit stuck on what to make but hopefully with more recipes I’ll get the hang of it
thank you so much for taking the time to write
Corrie:)
Thanks for sharing this and other recipes. I have a 6 year old gluten free girl who is enjoying cooking with me.
A gluten free girl here, and I found this recipe because almond crescents are a favorite Christmas cookie. These turned out wonderful! I added a whopping tablespoon of almond extract, which made them taste like marzipan. Next go around I think I will do half fresh ground almonds (in my food processor) and half almond flour to soften the bite a tiny bit. I also think the toss in the sugar makes them super sweet, so maybe lessening the sugar in the cookie to 100 grams would work too. I will have to try that. I think these are even better than traditional almond crescents. Thanks for the yummy recipe!