Beetroot, Chocolate and Ginger Cookies

I was intrigued when I came across this recipe online from food stylist Kate Wesson, having enjoyed chocolate beetroot brownies from our local farmers market some weeks ago, so I gave it a try.

It met with resounding approval from all my family and King of the Hill requested it again a week later, a first for him regarding any vegetable-based cookie or cake so far, so I thought that I would share it with you.

First I pulled up a smallish beetroot from the garden, and scrubbed it and grated it. I used dairy-free spread instead of butter, making the recipe dairy-free, and while the spelt flour means it is not entirely gluten-free, it is suitable for many diets that avoid processed wheat flours. Presumably the spelt flour could be replaced by one of the many completely gluten-free flours or flour mixes for similar results if required.

Ingredients

1 cup spelt flour

2 tbsp cocoa powder

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup good quality dark chocolate chopped into small chunks

2 tbsp butter/dairy-free spread

1/2 cup brown sugar (I used soft light brown sugar)

1 small beetroot grated

1 egg and 2 egg whites

3 tbsp chopped stem ginger

15-20 pecans (optional)

Method

• Preheat oven to 175˚C/350˚F ( I set the fan oven to 165˚C )
• Cream together the butter and sugar (using a mixer where available)
• Combine spelt flour, cocoa powder, ground ginger, baking powder and salt in a bowl

• Add the spelt mixture to the creamed sugar and combine thoroughly
• Whisk the egg and egg whites until frothy
• Add the whisked eggs to the flour mixture and fold in
• Add the grated beetroot, chocolate chunks and stem ginger and fold in
• Spoon tbsp mounds on to baking trays lined with baking parchment, allowing a little room for spread. (The mixture is a vivid raspberry pink, very unusual!)

• Optionally, top each cookie with a pecan. I did this the first time, but forgot the second.
• Bake for 15 minutes or until firm to the touch.

Not possessing any cup measures, both times that I have made these the cup-based quantities have probably been a little variable, but have still resulted in lovely cookies with a soft cake-like crumb. They have a wonderful vibrant pink-tinged chocolate colour, and when eaten warm from the oven the pools of molten chocolate are rather exquisite; when cooled the solid chunks are equally compelling. The ginger adds some gentle heat to them; these flavours all work really well together.

Let me know how you get on if you do try this recipe yourself; I highly recommend it.