Raw Vanilla Cookies & Stars

When I made up the crust for the pecan pie, I thought the dough would make a perfect Christmas cookie, like a sugar cookie (I emphasize the word like here, as there is no refined sugar in these :-)). Since it's already an almost raw recipe, all that needs to be done is to substitute coconut oil for ghee, and dehydrate. I did not make my cookies truly raw because I wanted a slightly buttery taste, so I kept the ghee. But you could use virgin coconut oil instead for a raw cookie, if you prefer. I also opted for a kind of fat cookie, and the inside never fully dried out. I suppose I could have dehydrated them another day, but we all really like the chewy inside. Next time I'm going to try pressing them thinly to get a crunchy cookie for a change.

The second best thing to eating these yummy cookies, is the smell they create in your house for 24 hours while they are dehydrating. It's a cookie dough in the oven kind of smell, only it lasts much longer than baking cookies, and these little guys are packed with nutrition. Yesterday, the girls and I were so enticed by the smell that we couldn't resist taking out one or two to eat. Okay, maybe three or four :-) It was such a laid back kind of Monday. We were so pooped from our busy weekend that Zoe stayed in her pajamas all day. All we did was read, use the computer, and make pipe cleaner stars, which we hung in front of the kitchen window for a cheerful sparkle.

Christmas Cookies:
Soak 2 cups of cashews for about 8 hours.

Rinse well in a bowl of fresh water and strain.

Repeat about 3 times.

Add the cashews to the food processor with:

2 tbs ghee or use virgin coconut oil for raw cookies

2 tbs honey

1 tbs xylitol

2 tsp vanilla

Puree. Scrape the sides, then add:

1 cup shredded coconut

Puree. Roll and press into shape. Dehydrate for 24 hours at 130 to 140 degrees.

Note: The queen of all dehydrators is the Excalibur 9 Tray Dehydrator . If this is out of the question for you, there is a one called Nesco American Harvest that gets 4.5 out of 5 stars, based on 104 reviews, and it is the one that I myself use.