For my gluten free Cacao Dahlia Butter Cookies (Biskuit Semperit) recipe. Likewise, I am using organic raw cacao powder, vegan butter, gluten free all-purpose flour, corn starch and potato starch. Plus icing sugar with a dash of vanilla extract. This Cacao Dahlia Butter Cookies recipe is not only gluten free. But also vegan, low carb, corn free, dairy free, nut free, egg free and soy free. This Cacao Dahlia Butter Cookies (Biskuit Semperit) recipe is a variation of my gluten free daisy custard butter cookies recipe. For the dahlia flower shaped wrapped layers of petals cookies, use a large piping nozzle to achieve the desired shape. Besides, the nozzle used is similar to the piping nozzle used to pipe an icing rosette on a cake.
Dahlia Butter Cookies (Biskuit Semperit)
Dahlia butter cookies, also called dahlia biscuits or biskuit semperit in Malay language are delightful “melt in the mouth” cookies. They are not only very easy to make but look pretty and appealing. Because they resemble Dahlia flowers in shapes. Other names commonly used are piping biscuits, cherry biscuits or dahlia biscuits. Likewise, many people often refer to these cookies as butter cookies or custard cookies if they include custard powder. These cookies are a favourite treat all year round. Especially during the festive seasons like Chinese New Year and Hari Raya in Malaysia. In most gluten version of dahlia cookies, they frequently use food colouring to make these biscuits that resemble dahlia flowers.
What really is raw cacao powder?
Raw cacao powder is the result of cold-pressing unroasted cacao beans. Besides, they are the seeds and nuts of the cacao trees. Other cacao products include cacao butter, cacao mass or paste and cacao nibs. The strong flavour of raw cacao powder is comparable to dark cocoa powder. While we regularly use the terms cacao and cocoa interchangeably, they are not the same. Likewise, they roast raw cocoa at high temperature to make cocoa powder with alkalized/Dutch processed to remove the bitterness. In turn, altering the molecular structure of cocoa beans and thus reducing the total nutritional value.
Chocolate Vs. Raw Cacao Powder
While they use the name chocolate to define dark, milk or white chocolate. And they derived these chocolate products from the cocoa or cacao tree. Moreover, the distinctions between them is the amount of chocolate liquor, sugar, milk and cocoa butter. Included in processing the cocoa powder itself. Besides, they created the astonishing health benefits of chocolate from raw cacao not the average supermarket chocolate bar or cocoa. Raw cacao powder has a much higher antioxidant content than cocoa. And they associate raw cacao powder with a range of health benefits, often acclaimed as a superfood or healing food.
Nutritional Values of Raw Cacao
Raw cacao has very high level of antioxidants (polyphenols like flavonoids). More than the amount of antioxidant in blueberries, acai berries and goji berries. It is an excellent source of potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and calcium. It is also a good source of manganese, zinc, copper and iron. Raw cacao is also high in protein, oleic acid (heart-friendly monounsaturated fats) and fiber. Raw cacao also has choline, , vitamin K and vitamin E. As well as the B group of vitamins. Specifically, vitamin B1 (thiamine), vitamin B 2 (riboflavin) and vitamin B3 (niacin). Plus vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) and folate (vitamin B9). Moreover, cacao has resveratrol, a potent antioxidant found in red wine.
Health Benefits of Raw Cacao
On the whole, the many health benefits of raw cacao may include:
- Lower blood pressure;
- Reduce risks of cardiovascular disease;
- Promote healthy skin,
- Prevent cell and tissue damage;
- Decrease risks of cancer;
- Protect the central nervous system;
- Lessen risks of strokes;
- Lower risks of insulin resistance;
- Reduce blood clots and strokes;
- Prevent premature aging;
- Assist in weight loss;
- Boost your mood.
Cacao Dahlia butter Cookies (Biskuit Semperit)
Ingredients
- 200 g vegan butter
- 200 g gluten free all-purpose flour
- 150 g corn starch
- 60 g potato starch
- 1½ tablespoons organic raw cacao powder
- 100 g gluten free icing sugar also called powdered sugar or confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 to 2 tablespoons dried cranberries finely diced
For the No Egg Natural Egg replacer (equivalent to 1 whole egg):
- 2 teaspoons egg replacer powder
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the vegan butter with an electric hand mixer until light. Then gradually add in the icing sugar and vanilla extract, whisk until light and pale in colour.
- Sift into a large bowl all the gluten free all-purpose flour, corn starch and potato starch. Whisk and combine well.
- Then add the sifted flour into the butter mixture, stir and mix with a spatula until combine well. Hand knead the dough until you get a smooth texture.
- Preheat fan-forced oven to 140C or 285F. Position the oven rack in the lower third of your oven.
- Line baking trays with baking/parchment papers.
- Place some dough into the icing nozzle, push and pipe the dough out using your thumb by pressing down gently onto the lined baking tray when piping.
- Place each cookie dough 1 inch apart.
- Press a piece of diced dried cranberry gently onto the center of each cookie dough.
- Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cookies are lightly brown.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking trays for 3 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.
- Once the cookies are completely cooled, store in an air-tight container.
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Notes
Hi! Where can I buy those piping nozzles?
You can buy them at any good kitchenware stores or online stores.
Such cute little cookies! I bet it’s hard to stop eating them!
They are charming little cookies and yes, very addictive too! 🙂
What beautiful cookies, and even better that they are vegan too!
They are very pretty cookies indeed. I love vegan desserts. ☺