Gluten-Free Thumbprint Cookies with Pomegranate Hibiscus Jam by Chef Carrie Bonfitto

What’s your favorite holiday treat? Do you have a family recipe that is a must-have at your gathering? A special pie, maybe a flan, or even a figgy pudding!

Looking for a festive and healthy holiday cookie? Holistic Chef Program Manager Carrie Bonfitto shares her favorite holiday cookie recipe that pops with a festive red jam made from some surprising ingredients in her garden.

An Edible Garden

Several years ago, my family and I were lucky enough to move into a home with an established front garden that includes a pomegranate tree and many hibiscus bushes. Here in southern California, these bloom and come to their peak of brilliant red ripeness in the fall. The crimson pomegranates hang on the tree like Christmas balls and the hibiscus flowers pop with such joy that I feel like nature has already decorated my house for the holidays!

That first fall, I was so excited about the pomegranates and their juicy red seeds called arils. But I was less familiar with hibiscus. I knew I could harvest the flowers and make a vibrantly colored tea, but I soon discovered that the petals themselves were edible and could be used in everything from vegan taco meat to jam!

Cherished Traditions

One of my favorite parts of the holidays is cooking with my loved ones. It’s a wonderful time to pass along family recipes or create a cherished tradition by cooking a new recipe to mark the season and remember these magical moments of togetherness.

With my newfound abundance of pomegranates and hibiscus at the start of the giving season, I knew that I wanted to share my harvest with my friends and family. So, I started a new tradition of making festive thumbprint cookies with my son that feature our homemade pomegranate hibiscus jam. We make dozens of them and box them up to gift to our friends and neighbors each year.

A Healthier Holiday

As a Holistic Chef, I can feel good that I’m sharing a true treat while still holding to my values of eating nutrient-dense foods.

These cookies are lower-glycemic as they replace refined sugar with honey and use almond flour and chia seeds to increase the fiber, protein, and healthy fats which all help to balance blood sugar.

Plus, the natural red pigments in the pomegranates and hibiscus indicate the presence of some powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds. For example, pomegranates contain ellagitannins which can help protect our DNA and provide excellent support for cancer prevention, blood sugar regulation, and reduce sun-related skin damage. Hibiscus are rich in anthocyanins, which reduce atherosclerosis, the build-up of plaque on the inside of arteries which can cause high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure.

You Don’t Need a Garden

While the pomegranates and hibiscus I use for this recipe come from my garden, you can still make the jam from store-bought ingredients to make a nutrient-dense holiday treat.

I recommend juicing your own pomegranate arils, but you can also buy bottled pomegranate juice for this recipe. If starting with whole pomegranates, you’ll want about 3 to ensure you yield one cup of juice. Once you remove the seeds, place them in a blender, puree, and strain. Use the ruby red juice only for the jam.

Hibiscus flowers are available in dried form and can easily be obtained from many herb and spice shops or purchased from an online store. They are commonly used to make tea, however, the flowers themselves are also edible. When measuring the dried flowers, you’ll want to weigh them because the size they have been chopped into can vary greatly and a volume measurement isn’t reliable.

My garden contains edible ornamental hibiscus flowers which are a different variety than the dried culinary hibiscus flowers that are commercially available. If using storebought, steep the flowers first in hot water to rehydrate and remove some of the bitterness. Keep this steeping liquid as it’s hibiscus tea!

Then blend the strained flower pulp with your pomegranate juice to create the base of the jam. For a smoother jam, feel free to blend the chia seeds as well. I like texture in my jam so keep the chia seeds whole.

Use the jam in your favorite thumb-print cookie recipe or use my nutrient-dense gluten-free version below.

I hope you share some holiday cheer with your loved ones this year!

Check out the recipe below or learn more about Chef Carrie and the rest of the Holistic Chef Team by visiting our faculty page.

Gluten-Free Thumbprint Cookies with Pomegranate Hibiscus Jam

Prep Time | 45 minutes Cook Time | 15 minutes Yield | 9 cookies + 3/4 cup extra jam

INGREDIENTS

Pomegranate Hibiscus Jam

• 1 oz dried hibiscus flowers (or 2 oz fresh)
• 3 cups boiling water
• 1 cup pomegranate juice
• 1.5 TBS chia seeds
• 1TBS honey or more to taste
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice (optional)

Thumbprint Cookies

• 3 TBS butter or vegan butter, softened
• 3 TBS honey
• ½ tsp almond extract (or vanilla extract)
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup almond flour, packed
• ½ cup cassava flour
• 3 TBS of hibiscus pomegranate jam

INSTRUCTIONS

Pomegranate Hibiscus Jam

1. Rinse the dried hibiscus flowers in a fine mesh strainer to remove any dust or debris. Place the strainer of flowers over a bowl of similar size and cover the flowers with boiling water. Cover the bowl and allow to steep for 10-15 minutes. Lift the strainer and gently press out most of the water and save this hibiscus tea to drink with your cookies. (Skip this step if using fresh flowers).
2. Add the softened flower pulp to a blender with the pomegranate juice. Blend until relatively smooth.
3. Add the mixture to a small saucepan along with the chia seeds and honey. Simmer for about 5 minutes until the mixture starts to thicken. Taste and adjust flavor with more honey or lemon if desired.
4. Pour the jam into a jar, let sit 30 min, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before using.

Thumbprint Cookies

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Add the honey to the softened butter and mix with a hand mixer until well combined and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla. In a separate bowl combine the salt with the almond and cassava flours. Slowly mix in the flour mixture to the butter mixture.
3. Using a tablespoon or cookie scoop, measure out the dough into 9 even scoops. Roll into balls and gently flatten them on the parchment-lined cookie sheet. (If your dough is too soft, refrigerate for 15 minutes to firm it up before scooping or pressing.) Using your thumb or the back of a rounded tablespoon measuring spoon, gently press each disk to create a well for the jam.
4. Add 1 teaspoon of jam to each cookie.
5. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown on the bottom. Remove from oven and let sit on the baking tray for 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack and allow to rest until completely cool.

Enjoy your cookies or place them in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 6 months.