Almond Thumbprint Cookies for One

Despite all the classy ingredients, this is really a pretty rustic cookie. For that reason, my favorite way to fill them is with a bit of almond butter in the bottom of the indentation and some apricot jam on top of it. Such a lovely surprise when you bite into it!

7 TBLSP raw almonds

4 teaspoons coconut flour (or other gluten-free flour)

12 teaspoons ground flax seed

Pinch of salt

Pinch of baking powder

2 ½ TBLSP almond butter

3 ½ TBLSP maple syrup (or agave nectar)

Splash of almond extract

2 TBLSP shredded coconut

2 (or so) TBLSP jam

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray it with non-stick oil.

1. Grind the almonds into a meal in a food processor or blender. A few chunks are all right.
2. In a small bowl, combine the almond meal, flour, flax seed meal, salt, and baking powder. Break up any clumps of almond meal.
3. In another small bowl, combine the almond butter, syrup, and almond extract. Once it’s well combined, mix it with the dry ingredients until it’s thoroughly mixed. If the dough is very sticky, let it rest in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before proceeding.
4. Put the coconut in a small bowl. I like to use one for dipping sushi into. Roll 1 TBLSP or so of the dough into a 1-inch ball and then roll it in the coconut to coat. Set it on the prepared baking sheet and press a divot into the center with your thumb, a finger, or the back of a spoon. Smoosh it together if the edges split. Repeat with the rest of the dough. You should get 5 or 6 cookies.
5. Fill the indentation with jam. I like to use a variety, so each cookie tastes a little different from the last.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Watch them carefully after about 9 minutes because they will suddenly burn. The coconut should be golden and the cookie should be a little firm to the touch. They will firm up more as they cool.

Let them cool on the baking sheet or they will crumble into small pieces that will elude any effort you make to snarfle them up. It will be delicious, but Miss Manners will have a chat with you.

Variations:

• Roll the finished cookies in ground nuts instead of coconut.
• Use another kind of nut and its related butter, like peanuts and peanut butter or cashews and cashew butter. Nuts vary wildly in fat content, so you might have to add oil or a dab of non-dairy milk to get the right texture in the dough.
• Fill the depressions with chocolate chips, raisins, nut chips, nut butter, apple butter, or cranberry sauce. There’s no reason to confine yourself to traditional jam. Go wild!