Cinnamon Sugar Pillow Cookies

Ah!  What better way to celebrate July than with a nice holiday cookie in honor of the half way mark to Christmas!  Made these for my Argentinian family and they went crazy for them – couldn’t believe they were vegan … Recipe comes from a blog with lots of delicious ideas:
www.chocolatecoveredkatie.com Check it out for inspiration!

Seriously these are the dopest little pillow puffs of magical goodness – they will melt in your mouth.  Ladies, if you’re trying to impress your man in the kitchen, these are they.  And gentlemen, if you are trying to impress your woman, these are definitely they.  Happy baking!

Cinnamon Sugar Pillow Cookies
(makes 11-13 stuffed cookies)

INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup (not packed) whole-wheat pastry flour (or spelt flour, or all-purpose. Readers say you can use a gf all-purpose mix if you add extra liquid so it’s not crumbly.) (120g)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp plus 1/8 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup xylitol or sugar (55g)
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2-4 tsp milk of choice (8-16g)
3 tbsp coconut or vegetable oil (35g)
a bowl of equal parts cinnamon and sugar for rolling (Omit if desired.)

FILLING INGREDIENTS:

For the filling (which you can omit completely if you want regular, non-stuffed cookies): combine 2 tsp powdered sugar or Sugar-Free Powdered Sugar with 2 tablespoons cream cheese-style spread (I used Tofutti non-hydrogenated, but I’m sure other full-fat brands such as Follow Your Heart or Trader Joes would be fine.) Beat well, then set aside.

DIRECTIONS:

In a mixing bowl, combine first five ingredients and stir very well. In a separate bowl, combine all liquid ingredients and stir. Pour wet into dry and stir to form a cookie dough. Smush into a giant ball with your hands (or, as an easier trick: transfer dough to a plastic bag and smush into a ball once the dough is inside the bag). Now roll into 22-26 mini cookie dough balls, then flatten each and divide the filling among only half of the flat discs. Place the other discs on top, cinch the sides, then roll into balls. Roll the balls in the bowl of cinnamon-sugar, place on a baking tray, and chill for at least 30 minutes. (If you desire crispy cookies, you can skip this chilling step.)

Preheat oven to 325, and cook 11 minutes- they’ll still look a little underdone, but that’s okay. Important: allow cookies to cool at least 10 minutes before trying to remove from tray.

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                   ©Alex Wolfe Photography 

In my humble opinion, I want to encourage you to avoid using artificial sugar.  I feel like it causes cancer (not that real sugar is great for you) but the point is this: baking is a treat.  You should have a little dessert and a lot of whole-grain plant foods in your life.  I am a firm believer in balance.  So if you’re gonna have dessert, let’s try and use agave and other natural sweeteners.  When a recipe calls for that old school white, unrefined sugar, just go for it!  The artificial stuff is just no bueno.  Not to mention it’s a little… gross?
Be advised I am not a doctor or a health consultant in any way.  I am a regular joe who does a lot of research by reading articles from an array of sources.  Most of my suggestions are based on personal experience and opinion.  Please consult your doctor if you have any health related concerns, because FOOD IS MEDICINE (if you eat the right foods!)