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festive vegan and

Bake some love this festive season with these delicious vegan and gluten-free recipes. Put them in a pretty glass jar and decorate with a ribbon and gift card for made-with-love festive gifts. By Neha Jamani.

Homemade

gluten-free gifts

RAW SUPERSEED CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES2 cups dates (500gms)1 cup almonds¼ cup cocoa powder¼ cup goji berries2 Tablespoon flax seeds2 Tablespoon chia seeds1/8 teaspoon saltOptional to serve: 2 Tbsp cocoa powder to coat

Directions • Pit dates and set aside. • In a food processor, blitz almonds until you get

a finely crumbed mix. • Add the remaining ingredients to the food

processor and blend. You should end up with a mixture that appears as cake-like crumbs, but when pressed will easily stick together. If the mixture does not hold together well, add more dates or a few drops of water.

• Scoop out teaspoon-sized portions of the dough and gently roll into balls. Dust with a little cocoa, if desired.

• Store truffles in a sealed container.

Yields: around 50 small truffles

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cont. overleaf

ORANGE CRANBERRY GRANOLA3 cups old-fashioned gluten-free oats½ cup almonds, roughly chopped½ cup pecans, roughly chopped½ cup dried cranberries1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds¾ teaspoon cinnamon1/4 cup coconut oil, melted1/4 cup maple syrupzest and juice of 1 orange

Directions • Preheat oven to 125 degrees celsius.• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.• In a large bowl add the oats, almonds,

sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, and cinnamon. Stir to combine.

• Whisk together melted coconut oil, maple syrup, orange zest and juice. Gently fold into the oat mixture with a rubber spatula until evenly coated.

• Transfer the mixture to your prepared baking sheet, spreading the mixture evenly onto the pan. Don’t over crowd

the pan, bake the granola in batches if you have a small oven.

• Bake for 50 minutes, or until golden brown. Stir the mixture once or twice as it bakes.

• Cool the granola completely, and store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Yields: Five cups

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cont. from pg39

STRAWBERRY CHIA JAM1 ½ cup strawberries, washed and sliced2 Tablespoons water2 Tablespoons maple syrup2 Tablespoons chia seeds

Directions • Set a saucepan over low heat and add

the strawberries and water • Heat the fruit, stirring occasionally, until

it begins to breakdown, 6-8 minutes. Let it come to a boil until it becomes the consistency of a sauce. If necessary use a fork mash any large pieces.

• Remove from heat and stir in the maple

syrup and chia seeds. Taste and add more maple syrup if you want it sweeter.

• Transfer jam to a glass container and cool to room temperature before storing in refrigerator.

• The jam will thicken as it cools and will last up to two weeks in the refrigerator.

Yields: Two small jars

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GLUTEN-FREE GINGER COOKIES2 ½ cups almond meal1 teaspoon baking powder1 teaspoon ground cinnamon2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and grated5 Tablespoons maple syrup3 Tablespoons coconut oil, melted Directions• Preheat the oven to 175 degrees celsius.• Mix the dry ingredients almond meal,

baking powder and cinnamon in a large bowl.

• Pour in the maple syrup, coconut oil and ginger and mix well.

• Use a spoon to scoop the cookie dough. Form the dough into a round cookie shape.

• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until brown around the edges.

• Store in an airtight container for up to 10 days

Yields: 22-24 (1 inch) cookies

NEHA JAMANIA therapeutic and holistic chef, Neha is founder of Dubai-based The Sacred Kitchen. A graduate of Bauman College of Holistic Nutrition and Culinary Arts in California, Neha aims to raise awareness about the importance of food choices and reconnect people with their bodies and the food they eat. www.thesacredkitchen.org