by Misti Wolanski
Note: This recipe contains notes in italics for aspects that the author has had people inquire about, before. All measurements are US.
Alert: Due to the qualities of vanilla and saffron, the cookies can have a sedative effect, helping a person calm or fall asleep, and they can also be a mood booster. Cinnamon contains an oil that reduces blood sugar spikes, and chia seed—if you use that type of egg replacer—can slow digestion of the sugar.
Or so’s my understanding from my research. I’m not a medical professional, my statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, and you should use your own discretion on that. :-)
Ingredients
- 1 egg equivalent* or egg
*recommended: 1 tablespoon chia seed or 2 teaspoons chia flour + ¼ cup milk, buttermilk, or water; author purchases white chia seed flour from nuts.com
alternative: 1 tablespoon flax seed or 2 teaspoons flax meal + ¼ cup milk, buttermilk, or water; - ±20 saffron threads*
*recommended: buying online, or even on ebay.com
can be increased to 30 threads; 1 teaspoon of ground safflower may be substituted - ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
if you use salted butter, halve the salt below - 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 2 cups all-purpose flour*
*for gluten-free: add 1 teaspoon xanthan gum and 1 teaspoon guar gum; if you only have xanthan gum, use 2 teaspoons, but your texture will be affected
recommended gluten-free all-purpose flour: by Bob’s Red Mill or from nuts.com - 4 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons baking powder*
*alternative: ¾ teaspoon baking soda & 1¼ teaspoon cream of tartar - 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt author usually uses Himalayan pink salt
Directions
Start making any egg replacer now. (To make: in a custard cup or other small dish, mix the chia seed flour with the liquid and stir well. Stir it well every so often while working on the rest. It’ll eventually get gooey like a scrambled egg, but if you add it to the saucepan below, you don’t need to wait that long.)
Crush or grind the saffron. (The finer you grind it, the more flavor it’ll put in the cookies. A mortar and pestle help, but you can also stick it between parchment or wax paper and roll over it with a cup or rolling pin.)
Put the saffron in saucepan with vanilla, butter, molasses. Melt on low and allow to stay on warm while continuing recipe. (Chia egg replacer can go in here, but you’ll still need to stir it, every so often. Remove from heat if milk starts bubbling.)
In separate bowl, put all remaining ingredients (which should all be dry). Mix well.
Add saucepan contents to bowl. Mix until smooth. (If you prefer a particular texture at this point, you can adjust with flour to make it denser, or water/milk/buttermilk to make it softer.)
Chill batter for at least 3 hours. (You can bake them after 1 hour, but it’ll work better if you wait.)
Preheat the oven to ±350°F.
Roll into balls and drop onto a cookie sheet. (A spoon helps pry chunks of dough from the chilled bulk. Greasing the sheet is unnecessary.)
Bake for ±15 minutes or until they get the golden tint to the degree you desire. Carefully move them to racks to cool. (They’ll be very soft and crumbly at first, then solidify as they cool.)
Enjoy!
This recipe was inspired by the one found here: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/saffronvanilla-snickerdoodles-recipe.html.
*All links marked with an asterisk are affiliate links. I only become an affiliate for vendors or products that I recommend from personal experience. What happens is I find myself recommending to people, then realize there's an affiliate program, so I figure I might as well join up.
Do you have a story of unexpected herb effect? An opinion on my experiences or recipe? A question on herbs as medicine? Something you want to hear about making? Ask! I'm not the only person I know who does this kitchen remedy stuff, so if I don't know or make that item, someone else I knows probably does.
—M
