Naturally gluten free & vegan

Delicately floral and gently sweet, these cookies combine the rich, honeyed flavour of sweet chestnut flour with the scent of wild rose. They have a tender, crumbly texture somewhere between a cookie and a shortbread biscuit, making them perfect with a cup of tea or alongside a scoop of homemade wild ice cream.

Makes approximately 35 cookies

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 410g sweet chestnut flour
• 290g oat flour
• 100g cornflour or tapioca starch
• 1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ¾ tsp fine sea salt

Wet Ingredients

• 220g soft brown sugar
• 100g wild rose sugar
• 260g vegan butter, softened
• 6 tbsp plant milk
• 3 tbsp ground flaxseed
• 7½ tbsp water
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp wild rose syrup

Optional

• Zest of 2 lemons

⸻

Method

1. Prepare the flax egg

    Mix the ground flaxseed with the water and leave for 5–10 minutes until thickened.

2. Cream the butter and sugars

    In a large bowl, beat together the vegan butter, brown sugar and wild rose sugar until well combined.

3. Add the wet ingredients

    Stir in the flax mixture, plant milk, vanilla extract, wild rose syrup and lemon zest, if using.

4. Mix the dry ingredients

    In a separate bowl, combine the sweet chestnut flour, oat flour, cornflour, bicarbonate of soda and salt.

5. Make the dough

    Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until a soft dough forms. If the dough feels very soft, chill for 20–30 minutes.

6. Shape the cookies

    Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls and place onto lined baking trays. Flatten each cookie slightly with the palm of your hand.

7. Bake

    Bake at 150°C fan for 14–18 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden around the edges and set on top.

8. Cool completely

    Leave the cookies on the baking tray for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. They will be delicate when warm and will firm up as they cool.

⸻

Storage

Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. They also freeze well for up to 3 months.

Notes

• If your wild rose sugar is still slightly damp and clumpy, simply crumble it into the mixture as you use it.
• These cookies are naturally more delicate than traditional wheat-based cookies due to the sweet chestnut flour, giving them a beautifully tender, melt-in-the-mouth texture.
• For an extra floral finish, brush the cooled cookies lightly with a little wild rose syrup and sprinkle with a pinch of wild rose sugar.