I’d been meaning to try this recipe for a while now.
Well, ever since I saw it on Nora’s site, that is. So let’s see, that’s a good… erm… yeah, like I said, a while!
But I think I was intimidated by the fact that it calls for teff, and I’d never used teff before, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.
I’d bought a bag back in July and it was still sitting pretty in my pantry, all shiny and unopened that it was. I guess that, given the fact that I’ll be going grain free for so long, I sort of got this urge to finally try it. Hey, what if I decided to completely go off grains and never got to try teff in my entire life? 
Now that would be a shame! So I finally got that bag opened and decided to give that new grain a try. First in this super creamy Buckwheat Risotto, then in the form of this yummy cookie, right here.
I must admit after the first bite, I wasn’t all that convinced. After the second one either…
I mean, I really liked the texture and all. It was really soft and chewy, plus, since I ground my own teff with a coffee grinder, the resulting flour was somewhat coarse and that conferred some sort of a grainy feel to the cookies, which I really, really liked. It reminds me a little bit of the texture of fig seeds. (Now Erin, darlin’, you might want to pass on that one… ;) )
But I sort of expected more of a “spicy” flavor, more gingerbread like, I guess. But much to my surprise, the flavor was very delicate, subtle. Not bland, but not the explosion of spices that I’d been anticipating.
However, after eating two or three more, I sort of got hooked. No, scratch that. I really got totally hooked. So much so, I now think it’s a shame that I won’t be able to make another batch for at least a month and a half.
Oh, and I’ll give you a little tip… they are absolutely FANTASTIC with almond butter. There is something about the combination of flavors that just throws you to the floor. It’s plain unbelievable. But don’t take my word for it. Try it for yourself!
I might never be able to give up on grains for good, now. Well, the good thing is, at least, teff is gluten free.
So if I eventually decided to reinstate grains but leave gluten out, I’ll be able to have them again!
And that, well, is what I call good news!
RAISIN & SPICE TEFF COOKIES
(Adapted from Natural Noshing)
INGREDIENTS
(Makes 2 dozen cookies)
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- ½ cup (4) egg whites
- 1 tsp gluten free vanilla extract
- ¼ cup ground chia seeds
- 1½ cup teff flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup raisins (I used Thompson)
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, mix together the applesauce, egg whites, vanilla and ground chia seeds and set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the teff flour, salt, spices, and baking powder. Mix until very well incorporated and stir in raisins and pumkin seeds. Set aside.
- Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients, then stir to combine.
- Drop the cookie dough by the the teaspoonful onto the prepared baking sheet, about 1½ inches apart from each other. Dip a fork in warm water and use the tines to press down the center of the cookies (you can skip this step and make the cookies into little mounds).
- Bake for 8 – 12 minutes until the cookies are set. Mounds will require a slightly longre cooking time. Make sure not to overbake, the cookies have to remain soft and chewy in the middle.
- Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container, for up to 10 days.
I didn’t knew this “teff” flour! It sounds interesting!
And I love how these cookies look! thanks for sharing!
Irma
Thanks Irma! Teff flour is very interesting, both in texture and in taste, and I’m really hoping to experiment with it more, especially since it’s gluten free.
I’ve never tried teff flour…again something not easy to come by here but I’m making a mental note to go on the hunt for it! These look yum!
I think you would really like it, Michelle. Teff is an extremely interesting flour. I only regret not popping that bag open sooner. Now I’m gonna have to put all experimentation on hold for a while. So you go ahead and experiment for me!
JUST got some teff flour this weekend. I’m so excited to experiment! What is the flavor of teff? It looks kinda earthy?
It is kind of earthy, but it’s not as strong and prominent as buckwheat, say. I really really like that flour and look forward to experimenting with it some more, as soon as Lent is behind me. For sure, it will be the first grain to ever get reinstated.
Hehe, thanks for the tip. And sorry again for my weird issues. Those DO look like little seed cookies so I’m just going to keep obsessing over your avocado pie pudding for now. I’m happy teff flour worked out for you! I’ve never used it but I often walk by it and think, “Hmm… that may just be too adventurous.” I think I’ll work on getting used to and learning to like coconut flour before moving on to the next new flour.
Oh, hey… pssst… I just made a new version of a chocolate pudding last week-end and it’s absolutely insane! I thought about you the whole time, I think you will really like it!
If you do try teff flour, buy the flour and not the grain, that way it won’t be as coarse as the one I used! I think if you like buckwheat flour, you should like teff. Erm… notice I did say SHOULD!
I still can’t believe you don’t like coconut flour. I could eat that thing by the spoonful! 
Ooooh! When are you going to post it?! I have a ripe avocado that’s just sitting there.
I like the taste of the coconut flour in the container, but it’s the texture of it once you use it. I just have to get used to it! I’ve never had buckwheat flour either. One new thing at a time.
I’v neve used teff before as well. It looks interesting and your post sounds convincing, so why not
Yum yum!!! I am totally digging the texture of these cookies! YAY for getting around to trying these
I adored the ones I made…which reminds me, I need to make them again AND of course make your version, mine grew on me too! Thanks for the mention and I am honored to have inspired one of your creations!
I know! They have the BEST, coolest texture! Especially with the coarse teff flour! Say, have you ever tried adding molasses to them? I think that’s what I’ll do next time. Or turn them into a peanut butter cookie. YUM! Wow am I gonna miss my grains. It’s only halfway into day one and I’m already nostalgic!
And hey, I’m glad that YOU would be such a great source of inspiration. Thanks for posting such awesome recipes! 
Oh wow, those look amazing! And I love that they don’t have any added sugar.
I just had a question about the chia. I’ve got a bag of chia seeds, but I’m not sure how to grind them. I have is a mini food processor, would that work? If so, would that be 1/4 cup of chia seeds that I grind up, or do you measure out 1/4 cup after they’re ground? Thank you!
Thanks Val, appreciated!
I use a coffee grinder to grind grains into flour. Not the best, but it gets the job done! If you don’t have a coffee grinder, I guess you could always use a mortar and pestle, but then you’d get a great arm workout as an added bonus! 
Really not sure about the food processor. It’s worth a try, though! And I measured the chia seeds before to grind, but I don’t think that it would change much in the end, they are such tiny little seeds…