It’s Valentine’s Day.  And somehow I’ve gone all mushy.  I have been meaning to make these gluten and dairy-free adzuki bean biscuits for a while.  They were originally supposed to be circular but the vibe of the day got to me and I used the heart shaped cutters instead.  They have a crisp outer layer but you’ll discover that the inside is sweet, soft and mushy.

These little treats feature adzuki beans.  In Traditional Chinese Medicine, adzuki beans are valued for their ability to reduce dampness in the body.  Dampness translates to feelings of heaviness, waking sluggish, having a fuzzy head and experiencing digestive symptoms that are worse when consuming dairy, fatty and excessively sweet foods.  High humidity in the air or rainy days will also aggravate people who are holding dampness. The recipe also features some healthier sugar substitutes to keep the calorie count down.  These biscuits are based on this recipe, which is based on the red bean sweets that are popular in China. I’ve made a few changes to the recipe as detailed below.

Filling ingredients

• 1 cup cooked adzuki beans
• 1/4 cup agave nectar
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons xylitol
• pinch sea salt
• 2 teaspoons coconut oil

 Biscuit ingredients

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons xylitol
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 5 teaspoons almond meal
• 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1 1/4 cup brown rice flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoon arrowroot flour
• pinch sea salt
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Filling method

1. Place adzuki beans, agave nectar, water, xylitol and salt in food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Place mixture into saucepan and heat until it thickens (approximately five minutes).  Then add coconut oil and stir until the bean mixture looks glossy.   Remove from heat and cool.

Biscuit method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C .  Grease two biscuit trays.
2. Combine brown sugar, water, xylitol, vanilla extract, almond meal and vinegar, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
3. Add coconut oil and beat well.
4. Mix in remaining dry ingredients and gently knead into a dough.
5. Flour a clean, dry surface.  Roll out dough to about 3mm thick.  Use heart shape (or any shape you like) biscuit cutters to cut dough.
6. Take one biscuit and place a teaspoon of bean mixture into centre.  Place another biscuit over the mixture.  Pinch the edges to avoid the mixture escaping.  Then smooth the edges over.
7. Dip one flat side of each completed biscuit into sesame seeds.
8. Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until firm and golden.

For further information on Chinese Medicine contact Dr Sarah George (Acupuncture).  Sarah is a practitioner of acupuncture (AHPRA registered), massage therapy and natural health at her Broadbeach clinic and is the Chinese Medicine Senior Lecturer at the Endeavour College of Natural Health Gold Coast campus.