Gluten Free Chickpea Cookies with Cardamom
These pumpkin shaped chickpea cookies are a fall favorite, especially during Halloween and Thanksgiving seasons when pumpkins are everywhere. But despite their pumpkin shape, these cookies are actually pumpkin free. They are made with nutritious chickpea flour, making them both nutritious and gluten free, with an added boost of protein and fiber.
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 ¾ cup chickpea flour sifted
- 1 ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
- 5 teaspoon rose water divided
- ¼ teaspoon ground saffron
- 20 almond slivers (or pistachio)
- 1 drop green food coloring
Instructions
Make the chickpea dough
- Beat the butter with powdered sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the bloomed saffron to the butter mixture and beat until blended. (To bloom saffron, simply mix the ground saffron with 1-2 teaspoons of rose water and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes.)
- Add the cardamom powder and sifted chickpea flour to the mixture and beat on medium for 3-5 minutes, stopping to scrape the mixture down from the sides of the bowl. (Alternatively, you can knead the dough with your hands.) If mixture is too grainy and not coming together, add 1 teaspoon of rose water and continue to beat.
- Cover with plastic wrap and rest the dough for one hour.
Make the Almond Stems
- Mix 1 drop of green food coloring with 2 teaspoons of rose water and swirl to combine.
- Stir in the almond slivers (or pistachios) and place in the microwave for 20 seconds, then stir and repeat until the almonds are nearly dry.
- Lay the almond slivers on a paper towel to fully dry.
Shape the Cookies
- Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit (150 degrees Celsius).
- Using a small cookie scoop, shape the dough into 18-20 similar sized balls, rolling them in your hands until smooth.
- Using a knife or long toothpick, make 4 long indentations across and on the sides of the cookies to resemble the ridges of a pumpkin.
- Press the colored almond stem in the center of each "pumpkin".
- Place each cookie 3 inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake
- Bake in a 300 degree preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the bottom of the cookie is just lightly golden.
- Allow the cookies to fully cool on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes.