For people—and especially kids—who like crisply textured sweets, there’s nothing like a ginger snap to scratch that itch. Many of my clients worry that they’ll have to give up sweet treats like cookies during treatment. Nonsense. You just have to be smart about it, and this recipe shows you how: It uses quality ingredients (and no refined flour) and many cancer-fighting spices. There’s just one caveat: Make the dough at least three hours before you want to bake the cookies, and preferably an entire day ahead. Once you make the dough, it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to five days. Chilling the dough makes it easier to cut the cookies and also gives the flavors a chance to come together so the cookies taste their very best.

　　

Ingredients

makes 38 cookies

　　Scant 1/2 cup unrefined virgin coconut oil, melted

　　2/3 cup rapadura

　　2 tablespoons organic butter or unrefined virgin coconut oil

　　1/3 cup unsulphured molasses

　　1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

　　1 tablespoon ground ginger

　　1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

　　1 1/3 cups barley flour

　　1 1/3 cups spelt flour

　　1 teaspoon baking soda

　　1/8 teaspoon sea salt

　　1 organic egg

　　3/4 cup chopped raw pecans

　　3 tablespoons chopped uncrystallized candied ginger (see Rebecca’s Notes)

　　

Step 1

Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap, with several inches overhanging on each side.

　　

Step 2

Combine the coconut oil, rapadura, butter, molasses, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves in a saucepan over medium heat, and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil. Pour into a heatproof bowl or measuring cup and let cool to room temperature.

　　

Step 3

Combine the flours, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and stir with a whisk. Whisk the egg into the cooled oil mixture until well combined, then pour the oil mixture into the flour mixture and mix well using a rubber spatula. Stir in the pecans and candied ginger.

　　

Step 4

Transfer the dough to the prepared loaf pan, fold the flaps of plastic wrap over the dough, and press gently into an even layer. Chill for at least 3 hours, and preferably overnight.

　　

Step 5

When you’re ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 400°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Lift the dough from the pan, unwrap it, and cut it in half lengthwise. Rewrap one piece and return it to the fridge. Slice the other piece crosswise into very thin cookies, about the thickness of a graham cracker, and place on the prepared pans, leaving 1 inch between cookies. Bake one pan at a time for 7 to 9 minutes, until the edges begin to brown visibly. (If you have a convection oven, you can bake both pans of cookies at the same time.) Let cool on the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

　　

rebecca’s notes

Step 6

These cookies freeze beautifully, both in dough form and baked. If freezing the dough, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap.

　　

Step 7

Rapadura is an unrefined organic sugar from the first pressing of the sugarcane with a unique caramel taste. Look for Rapunzel brand rapadura in your grocery store or find it online at www.rapunzel.com. You can also use muscovado, which is very similar.

　　

Step 8

If you can’t find uncrystallized candied ginger, use the crystallized version; just rinse and pat dry before chopping.

　　

storage

Step 9

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days or in the freezer for 2 months.

　　

nutrition information

Step 10

(per serving)

　　

Step 11

Calories: 110

　　

Step 12

Total Fat: 5.6g (3.1g saturated, 1.4g monounsaturated)

　　

Step 13

Carbohydrates: 14 g

　　

Step 14

Protein: 2g

　　

Step 15

Fiber: 1g

　　

Step 16

Sodium: 50mg

　　Excerpted from The Cancer Fighting Kitchen, copyright 2017 by Rebecca Katz and Met Edelson. Published with permission by Ten Speed Press.