I really miss molasses ginger cookies and gingerbread now that I do not eat gluten or sugar. The gluten-free flour mixes taste funny to me. So, I had been dreaming up a new recipe. It needed to have butter and molasses and spices and date paste. Finally, I had a chance to experiment. Amazingly, this turned out great on the first try! I had thought I would try to make cookies, but the dough was rather wet so I put it in a pan to bake. Gingerbread was the exciting result.
While I was making up the recipe, I asked Grant to come write down the ingredients before I forgot. It is a good thing he did because I had forgotten the amounts when I made it again the next week.
The first time I made it I had desiccated coconut, which I think is better. Next time, I processed flaked coconut so there would not be long pieces.
This goes really well with sugar-free date ice cream. It is also great to have with a cup of coffee in the mornings.
DATE GINGERBREAD
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup date paste (see note)
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- a few drops pure orange oil or zest of an orange
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/8 teaspoon cloves
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup almond flour
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened desiccated coconut
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8 X 8-inch baking pan or line with parchment.
Blend the butter in a bowl of an electric mixer until creamy. Add molasses and date paste and cream together. Blend in egg, vanilla and orange oil. Add salt, spices, and baking soda and blend together with mixer. Mix in coconut flour, almond flour, and coconut.
Scoop into prepared pan. Bake for about 25 minutes or until set.
NOTE: Date Paste – Stuff a large glass jar full with pitted whole (not pre-chopped) dates and then fill jar with hot water. Store overnight to soften dates. Using a food processor or blender, process dates and soaking water until blended as smooth as possible. Store back in jar in refrigerator for up to a month.
Medjool dates are the most flavorful but Deglet work well too. Or, try with any kind of dates that you prefer and have available. Pitted dates often have random pits. I diligently check for them but one always seems to escape notice. Whole pits often fall to the bottom of the food processor and you can carefully pick it out.