Piñon acorn cookies

Cherry/cacao/piñon/acorn cookies! It’s almost acorn season again! I just finished up the last bit of my acorn flour from last autumn’s harvest on these gluten-free cookies. These cookies feature local acorn flour and backyard cherries infused with piñon flavor from piñon pine tree resin from Utah. Last year I learned how to infuse piñon pine cones into brown sugar. However, I am impatient and I prefer piloncillo to brown sugar which comes in a cone brick form. But then I thought...hey, resin disolves in oil soooo... I added a few small chunks of piñon resin to coconut oil over heat until it melted and then added it to the piloncillo syrup I made. 30 minutes vs weeks of infusion time. . These cookies come out with a bit of a crisp exterior with a soft chewy middle like a good molasses spice cookie.

Recipe below:

2/3 c acorn flour

1/4 c pumpkin seed flour (ground pumpkin seeds)

1/2 c coconut flour

3/4 c teff flour

1/3-1/2 c of cacao powder depending on your flavor preference

1tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Mix dry and set aside

Piñon piloncillo syrup:

•Melt 1 1/2 cones of piloncillo in a little bit of water (keep an eye on it because you want to melt off most of the water, but not burn the sugar. Add more water as needed to keep from burning)

•Melt a few small chunks of piñon pine tree resin in 1/3 cup of coconut oil.

When these are melted add together into mixer or mix with hand beater until emulsified and until cooled off a bit.

Add in 4 Tbsp of ground flax seeds mixed with 12 Tbsp of water until fluffy.

Add in 1/3 c more coconut oil and 1/3 unsalted butter.

Mix together until blended well.

Add in dry mix about a cup at a time until mixed. If consistency is too hard just add a little water and coconut oil.

Add 1 cup of chopped frozen cherries or dry cherries.