Friday 22 November 2013

Weekly Bake - Stem Gingernuts

This week I wanted to have a go at making these Stem Gingernuts as I have been having such cravings for ginger, one would think that I was pregnant again...
 


I have come to conclusion that I am pretty useless at following recipe's or any instructions for that matter, I much prefer the excitement of experimenting a bit to see what might materialise or go wrong. So again I adapted the recipe to make it Gluten and Dairy Free, but I also wanted to try and make them a little healthier, yeah I know, I mean how healthy can a cookie be??! One do like to fool oneself at times..... and I did a pretty good job of it this time, that's for sure.
  
So I figured that if I replaced the golden syrup with Agave syrup, which is a great deal healthier in that not only is it nutritious (whilst refined sugar is actually nutritionally bankrupt) it also has a very low GI, which means that it only gradually raises blood glucose levels, giving a much steadier supply of energy, therefore making it ideal for kids and also grown-ups with slightly fatigued adrenals (and some of you might know your DHEA-S levels usually decline with old age, so being kind to these two little adrenal glands can only be a good thing) and it is very common for people with M.E  to have Adrenal Fatigue. So using substitutes for sugar can really help and whilst I appreciate many people would argue to just illuminate sugar from your diet as much as possible, I would argue that the endorphins released from the pleasure of baking and then eating could outweigh some of that (yeah I know a pretty lame theory but it works for me). I simply enjoy baking too much to stop doing it, so I tend to look for ways to make it a little healthier where I can.
 



I also replaced the caster sugar with Palm sugar, something I have been doing for years and if I am honest I actually prefer the taste of it and really like the texture too. It is slightly grainier and a little stickier and it will always make your bake a little browner. So where does Palm Sugar come from? Well interestingly it is made by boiling the nectar of the coconut palm in a two stage-process which then leaves a hard caramel substance that is then ground to a powder form that we get to buy in the shops. It really is a good substitute for sugar as it is believed to also reduce the associated sugar cravings that we get from eating ordinary sugars, and I try and use it as much as possible with the kids even though it is a little more expensive to buy.
 
 
 
 
To sum it up, I substituted the golden with Agave syrup, the caster sugar with Palm sugar, used 100g of Coconut flour and 250 Doves Gluten free Self Raising Flour (instead of the 350g SR flour) and PURE sunflower spread instead of butter. Then lastly I just doubled the stem ginger to 70g instead of 35g, which I knew would work for our kids as little J's fave ice cream is Booja Booja Ginger, but if you're not that Ginger loving then keep it to the 35g.
 
 


Once I started mixing all the ingredients together I very soon realised that this Agave syrup wasn't going to hold its own, so I added two tablespoons of Golden Syrup (heated up) to the mixture to bring it all together, you can see just how healthy these Gingernuts are turning out to be, yikes so much for all the low GI malarky!!


 


 In the end the mixture worked and they were baked in 15 minutes tops and even though they really are just a little healthier, they are so so so very delicious!!


 



I was told by a friend today that these are far better than any shop bought ginger biscuits she had ever tasted and I must say I agree. I can't take any credit as the recipe is yet again from my current fave recipe book Great British Book of Baking, which needless to say I am LOVING!




 
I am more than certain that there will be another attempt at making these, maybe next time I would do half Agave and half Golden Syrup for now though we have biccies to dunk into hot mugs of tea whilst enjoying cosy fires, exactly where I will be later this afternoon.
 
Thank you to everyone for your lovely comments on the crochet classic snood, I appreciate each and every one of them.
 
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and if you have done a spot of baking and fancy linking in, just add your bake below.
 

Warm Wishes
Hannapat
xoxo 

31 comments:

  1. I wish I had something to link, but no baking here. I love ginger biscuits and yours look delicious :) xx

    ReplyDelete
  2. These look delicious! Thank you for inviting me to link in, I think I will! I will also go back and edit the post to mention the link-in, and maybe it will send others your way. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I did the linky thing now hannapat. I'm hoping that this time I did it right.
    Love this recipe. Gingernuts are my favourite of all time. I can eat dozens of them at any one sitting!!
    Rosie xx

    ReplyDelete
  4. Yum, this would definitely warm one up on these chilly winter days! Cxxx

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yummie! They look delicious! Your Oupa's favourite! I love your table cloth! xxx

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Lovely, my little peeps are coming to us next Friday afternoon, so excited and they want to do some baking so I am going to use some of the lovely recipes you have used, these biscuits look delicious. Keep warm and cosy this weekend Hannapat, big hugs
    Dorothy
    :-)xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    ReplyDelete
  7. They look gorgeous! I havent done any baking yet this week, I dont know if I will either because Tony is on course for his operation to remove his gallbladder on tuesday next and he has to follow a low fat diet.He has absolutely no willpower and I know if I bake he wont be able to resist!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Hannapat,

    Thank you for your kind comment on my blog! Your biscuits look perfect! Love your floral tea cosy too and those stunning teacups!

    Happy weekend,

    Madelief x

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love stem ginger biscuits and these look gorgeous. Your crockery is beautiful, and the crocheted flowers are stunning. I hope that you have a lovely weekend, Hannapat.

    Leanne xx

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thank you for finding me, now I can follow you too, your biscuits look yummy
    Thea x

    ReplyDelete
  11. These biscuits look scrummy, and low GI is not the be all and end all...lol! I just love ginger biscuits.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I've really enjoyed going through the process of producing these delectables with you, lovely Hannapat, and now I just need to gather the ingredients and do it myself; they really do look so more-ish! It's very obvious that you really enjoy your baking day and you describe and present everything so well. Now enjoy your cuppa, snack, and rest! Love and hugs, Joy xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  13. I think the cookies look so yummy, I can only use agave nectar as I am severely hypoglycemic, I am going to have to give these a try.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

    ReplyDelete
  14. These look gorgeous, I love ginger biscuits. I love to see all your beautiful china too!
    Marianne x

    ReplyDelete
  15. Stem ginger, my favourite, wish I they had invented a computer where you could just pop your hand in and pick out what you saw! Have a great weekend! :) x

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hello there. Thank you so much for such a kind offer. I hope you don't mind if I contact you on our return from Dubai as my mind will be more focused then,. I hope x

    ReplyDelete
  17. And to comment on your post. Your crochet is so lovely and I too love ginger so much.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Once again, a delicious Friday post - I love ginger nuts too. Do you know that you're meant to crack one with your elbow and if it splits into 3 pieces, you get to make a wish? Not sure where that tradition comes from but we always do that in our family, just in case wishes do come true :-)
    Lekker naweek, skattie xxx

    ReplyDelete
  19. they look lovely. I like agave syrup, I must get some. I put it on my porridge! the palm suger sounds interesting, a much better idea. Heather x

    ReplyDelete
  20. Your table looks great! I'm with you about baking and trying to make the goodies as healthy as possible. A life well lived is not lived with deprivations. I also like to experiment a bit with the baking because I am not a patient baker ;-) Have a wonderful week. Hugs.xx

    ReplyDelete
  21. Wow I'm totally struck by what you have written about sugar substitutes, DHEA-S levels and so forth. I know absolutely nothing on this subject but for some reason it's really resonating with me, I'm wondering if my subconscious is reading your post rather than my conscious and telling me to take note! Is it to do with diabetes at all?? I'm at high risk as it's prevalent in my family and I had it gestationally so therefore tested every year - so far okay but I always feel it's waiting in the background. And yes I think there is too much sugar in my diet. Sorry to bombard you but it's like you have turned on a light on the subject for me! Thanks for posting the info - I will have to do some research, Sam x

    ReplyDelete
  22. Dear, lovely Hannapat,

    I always think, when I visit you, that you create such an air of warmth and kindness in your posts. That is quite a gift you have there. ANYTHING gingerish gets top marks by me and your gingernuts look sweet and generous in size. Absolutely delightful, dear friend.

    I wish you a very, very lovely sunday from sunny France.

    Stephanie

    ReplyDelete
  23. Thanks for sharing, I've been realding lots about nutrition fatigue and inflammation lately and I'm planning some major New Year resolutions concerning sugar eek, rest well
    Clare x

    ReplyDelete
  24. They look delicious, I hope that lots of munching by the fire was had over the weekend! xx

    ReplyDelete
  25. So yummy and love your pretty tea cozy!! Wishing you a beautiful week! xo Heather

    ReplyDelete
  26. These cookies look so yummy! I love baking using stem ginger! Your cake tin and tea cosy are so pretty, Hannapat. Wishing you a happy week. xx

    ReplyDelete
  27. When I eat cookies, I kind of accept they are not going to be healthy, so I'm impressed that you have taken a bit of a stand and substituted things. I must say if they taste anything as good as they look, they will be divine! xxxx

    ReplyDelete
  28. Hi there, first time at your lovely blog!! :) Those look so delicious!! And I just love your darling tea pot cozy!! :) Have a lovely day! xo Holly

    ReplyDelete
  29. Hi Hannapat,

    Thank you for your kind offer of taking part in your weekly bake! I will link your post to my blog!

    Wishing you a happy week!

    Madelief x

    ReplyDelete
  30. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh - now that my mouth is watering, I must go down and find something BORING to put in it. I ADORE ginger anything - these look heavenly! XOXO

    ReplyDelete
  31. Hi Hannapat, I just had a read back here to take notes! it's a very informative post actually about finding healthier substitutes. Especially after watching the news this morning about eating sugar! I'm going to try and buy some of these. Thanks for the info, take care, Heather x

    ReplyDelete