Dahlia butter cookies, also called dahlia biscuits or biskuit semperit in Malay language are delightful “melt in the mouth” cookies that are not only very easy to make but look pretty and appealing as they are shaped like Dahlia flowers. Other names commonly used are piping biscuits, cherry biscuits or dahlia biscuits. These cookies are also often referred to as butter cookies or custard cookies if custard powder is used. These cookies are a favourite treat all year round and especially during the festive seasons like Chinese New Year and Hari Raya in Malaysia. In most gluten version of dahlia cookies, food colouring is frequently used to make the biscuits resemble dahlia flowers. For my gluten free version, I am using organic raw cacao powder, vegan butter, gluten free all-purpose flour, gluten free corn (maize) flour, potato starch and icing sugar with a dash of vanilla extract. This recipe is not only gluten free, it is also vegan, corn free, dairy free, nut free, egg free and soy free. This recipe is also 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, the nozzle used is similar to the piping nozzle used to pipe an icing rosette on a cake. These dahlia cookies are also a perfect gift for family or friends.
What really is raw cacao powder? Raw cacao powder is the result of cold-pressing unroasted cacao beans which 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 cacao and cocoa are regularly used interchangeably, but they are not the same. Cocoa powder is raw cocoa roasted at high temperature, alkalized/Dutch processed to remove the bitterness, altering the molecular structure of cocoa beans and thus reducing the total nutritional value. While chocolate is a name applied to define dark, milk or white chocolate, which are products derived from the cocoa or cacao tree. The distinctions between them is the amount of chocolate liquor, sugar, milk and cocoa butter included in processing the cocoa powder itself. Astonishing health benefits of chocolate is actually derived from raw cacao not the average supermarket chocolate bar or cocoa. Raw cacao powder has a much higher antioxidant content than cocoa, and has been associated with a range of health benefits, often acclaimed as a superfood or healing food.
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, folic acid/folate, vitramin K, vitamin E, vitamin B1 (thiamine), vitamin B 2 (riboflavin), vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine).
Health benefits of raw cacao include healthy heart by lowering blood pressure and reducing risk of cardiovascular disease; promote healthy skin, prevent cell and tissue damage and reduce risk of cancer; protect the central nervous system as a result of the resveratrol in cacao, a potent antioxidant found in red wine; reduce risk of strokes; lower risks of insulin resistance and prevent blood clots and strokes; prevent premature aging; assist in weight loss and boost your mood from the presence of bliss (feel good) chemicals like serotonin, dopamine, anandamide and phenylethylamine in cacao.
Cacao Dahlia butter Cookies (Biskuit Semperit)
Ingredients
- 200 g 7oz all vegan non-diary buttery spread (Nuttelex Buttery) or any vegan butter
- 200 g 7oz gluten free all-purpose flour (Orgran)
- 150 g 5.3oz gluten free corn (maize) flour
- 60 g 2oz potato starch
- 1½ tablespoons organic raw cacao powder
- 100 g 3.5oz gluten free icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 to 2 tablespoons finely diced dried cranberries
For the No Egg Natural Egg replacer (equivalent to 1 whole egg):
- 2 teaspoons 6g/0.21oz egg replacer (Orgran) or any egg replacer
- 2 tablespoons 30ml water
Special Equipment
- Large icing nozzle – flora shaped
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream the vegan buttery spread or 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, gluten free corn (maize) flour and the 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.
Notes
Disclosure Statement: I am NOT paid by Nuttlelex or Orgran for this post!
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. ☺