Almond Butter Thumbprint Cookies

I actually made these cookies a few weeks ago, just a day or two after I made a small jar of strawberry-lime jam. These are super easy, nothing fancy cookies that are also a nice alternative to the traditional peanut butter classic. I had been wanting to try a peanut butter cookie recipe that I found on the back of a package of teff flour. It appealed to me because the recipe contains maple syrup as the only sweetener in addition to the peanut butter. Or almond butter, in this case.

I had almost exactly the amount of almond butter this recipe called for, so I thought I would make a quick batch and test them out. I ended up making traditional “peanut butter” style cookies with half of the batch, as you can see here…..a little crumbly but really good with a cup of tea.

And, with the other half I made thumbprint cookies. One thing I should mention….I didn’t add my jam to the cookies until after they had baked, because I forgot!

You can’t store these in a jar or toss them in a bag because the jam is fresh. So, luckily there were less than a dozen and they disappeared immediately. These were really tasty, crisp yet chewy, and lightly sweetened from the maple syrup. The fresh strawberry  jam was actually a nice touch, even if it was not planned.

If you make these, I suggest you not forget to add the jam to the cookies before baking. That way, you don’t have to eat them all right away. You can even throw a couple in your bag with you in case you want something to snack on at work or in the car.

Almond Butter Thumbprint Cookies

1-1/2 cups teff flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup almond butter

*Recipe adapted from Bobs Red Mill.

Preheat oven to 350. Set aside an ungreased cookie sheet.

In a large bowl combine dry ingredients, set aside.

In a food processor blend syrup, oil, vanilla and peanut butter. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients; blend well. Shape dough into walnut size balls. Press the ball of dough down slightly and make a well with your thumb, or pinkie, depending on how big you make your cookies. Fill with jam of your choice.

Place on cookie sheet. Bake about 13-15 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Yield: 24 cookies

Tagged as: almond butter, almond butter cookies with strawberry jam, almond butter thumbprint cookies, Cookies, dairy free, Gluten-Free, maple syrup sweetened cookies, snacks, sweets, vegan, Vegetarian