Let’s say you are hosting an impromptu get-together and, being the caring and attentive host/hostess you are, you need to put out a snack, and that half bag of corn chips ain’t going to cut it.
May I suggest these cookies? Because they have great texture, flavor, and are just about everyone-friendly (no soy, gluten, dairy) and the best part… start to finish – out of the oven – you can have them in fifteen minutes!
This genius recipe comes from one of the most creative ladies in the cooking land, Ricki Heller, and can be found in her brand new comprehensive guide to goodies, Naturally Sweet and Gluten-Free: Allergy Friendly Vegan Desserts.
Ricki is the mastermind behind so many of my favorite recipes (seriously, something cool pops up on Pinterest and lo! it’s from Ricki), so this book with 100 recipes and full color photographs is simply scrumptious.
I’d recommend anyone have a good allergy-friendly cookbook in their library to prevent panic in this day when there’s always someone with some sort of food intolerance, because of biology or ethics. And you can’t go wrong with desserts. Therefore, buy the book.
I need to take a minute to also mention Ricki’s invaluable role, not just as a recipe developer and cooking teacher, but as a genuinely good human being. She’s an animal lover (she’s vegan after all), LOVES dogs and you’ll see “insight” from her pups show up in her work, and she’s just a damn fine human being. Kindness to the core. I love her work, and then I love her work even more because it’s a quality product put out by a quality person. Let’s support nice people. Especially when they are crazy-talented.
On to the recipe!
Easiest Almond Cookies by Ricki Heller
- 2 cups raw, skin-on almonds
- 1/4 cup finely ground flax seed (from 2 TBSP whole seed)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup agave nectar
- 2 TBSP sunflower (or light-tasting) oil
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp pure almond extract
- 1 TBSP water, if necessary*
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper, or spray with cooking spray.
In a food processor, blend almonds, flax, baking soda and salt until you have a very fine meal (like cornmeal consistency), with no large almond pieces.
Add the agave, oil, and extracts, and process again until the mixture holds together and just leaves the side of the bowl. *If it’s too dry, add the water and process again.
Use a Tablespoon to measure out small scoops, then roll into balls with your hands and place them about two inches apart on the cookie sheets. Wet your palms, and press down to flatten to about 1/4 inch thick.
Bake for 8-10 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway, until the edges are just barely golden brown. Allow to cool completely before removing from the cookie sheets.
Links:
Ricki’s Facebook Page/Twitter
RickiHeller.com (soooo many recipes!)
Link to BUY the new book!
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