Vegan and Gluten Free Gifts

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Homemade

festive vegan and

gluten-free gifts Bake some love this festive season with these delicious vegan and glutenfree recipes. Put them in a pretty glass jar and decorate with a ribbon and gift card for made-with-love festive gifts. By Neha Jamani.

RAW SUPERSEED CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

2 cups dates (500gms) 1 cup almonds ¼ cup cocoa powder ¼ cup goji berries 2 Tablespoon flax seeds 2 Tablespoon chia seeds 1/8 teaspoon salt Optional to serve: 2 Tbsp cocoa powder to coat

Directions

• Pit dates and set aside.

• In a food processor, blitz almonds until you get a finely crumbed mix.

• Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor and blend. You should end up with a mixture that appears as cake-like crumbs, but when pressed will easily stick together. If the mixture does not hold together well, add more dates or a few drops of water.

• Scoop out teaspoon-sized portions of the dough and gently roll into balls. Dust with a little cocoa, if desired.

• Store truffles in a sealed container.

Yields: around 50 small truffles

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ORANGE CRANBERRY GRANOLA

3 cups old-fashioned gluten-free oats ½ cup almonds, roughly chopped ½ cup pecans, roughly chopped ½ cup dried cranberries 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds ¾ teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted 1/4 cup maple syrup zest and juice of 1 orange

Directions

• Preheat oven to 125 degrees celsius.

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

• In a large bowl add the oats, almonds, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, and cinnamon. Stir to combine.

• Whisk together melted coconut oil, maple syrup, orange zest and juice.

Gently fold into the oat mixture with a rubber spatula until evenly coated.

• Transfer the mixture to your prepared baking sheet, spreading the mixture evenly onto the pan. Don’t over crowd

the pan, bake the granola in batches if you have a small oven.

• Bake for 50 minutes, or until golden brown. Stir the mixture once or twice as it bakes.

• Cool the granola completely, and store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Yields: Five cups

cont. overleaf

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STRAWBERRY CHIA JAM

1 ½ cup strawberries, washed and sliced 2 Tablespoons water 2 Tablespoons maple syrup 2 Tablespoons chia seeds

Directions

• Set a saucepan over low heat and add the strawberries and water • Heat the fruit, stirring occasionally, until it begins to breakdown, 6-8 minutes. Let it come to a boil until it becomes the consistency of a sauce. If necessary use a fork mash any large pieces.

• Remove from heat and stir in the maple

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syrup and chia seeds. Taste and add more maple syrup if you want it sweeter.

• Transfer jam to a glass container and cool to room temperature before storing in refrigerator.

• The jam will thicken as it cools and will last up to two weeks in the refrigerator.

Yields: Two small jars

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GLUTEN-FREE GINGER COOKIES 2 ½ cups almond meal 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and grated 5 Tablespoons maple syrup 3 Tablespoons coconut oil, melted

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 175 degrees celsius.

• Mix the dry ingredients almond meal, baking powder and cinnamon in a large bowl.

• Pour in the maple syrup, coconut oil and ginger and mix well.

• Use a spoon to scoop the cookie dough. Form the dough into a round cookie shape.

• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until brown around the edges.

• Store in an airtight container for up to 10 days Yields: 22-24 (1 inch) cookies

NEHA JAMANI A therapeutic and holistic chef, Neha is founder of Dubai-based The Sacred Kitchen. A graduate of Bauman College of Holistic Nutrition and Culinary Arts in California, Neha aims to raise awareness about the importance of food choices and reconnect people with their bodies and the food they eat. www.thesacredkitchen.org

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