Multi-Nut Thumbprint Cookies for One

These cookies are crunchy little nuggets of protein. Their pleasant nutty flavor nicely compliments the sweetness of the jam, and their size encourages popping them in your mouth and making them go away! Oh, and they’re gluten-free, just for the fun of it!

½ cup coconut flour

2 ½ TBLSP walnuts, finely crushed or processed in a food processor

1 TBLSP sugar

Pinch of ground cinnamon

Pinch of salt

5 teaspoons maple syrup (1 2/3 TBLSP)

2 teaspoons brown rice syrup

Splash of vanilla extract

4 teaspoons coconut oil, melted (1 1/3 TBLSP)

1 TBLSP almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)

2 TBLSP (or so) jam

2 ½ TBLSP pecans, crushed or processed in a food processor

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a non-stick mat.

1. In a small bowl, combine the flour, crushed walnuts, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
2. In another small bowl, combine the syrups, vanilla, coconut oil, and almond milk.
3. Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir until just barely combined.
4. Roll the dough into five or six 1-inch balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
5. Here’s the fun part. Put the crushed pecans into a small plate or bowl. Wet your hand slightly and pick up one ball at a time, getting it just wet enough for the pecan pieces to stick to it when you roll the ball in there. Repeat for all the balls.
6. With your thumb, a finger, or the back of a spoon, make an indentation in each cookie. How big you make it controls how much jam you put in there, so go wild, or be conservative, as you wish. Fill each indentation with jam.
7. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the cookies are slightly firm to the touch.

Let them cool on the baking sheet for about 15 minutes, and then place them in the refrigerator to continue cooling.

Variations:

• The original recipe used kamut flour instead of coconut flour and added almond extract too. I liked the flavor, but I found them too wet, and the small amount of almond extract in my smaller batch didn’t render enough flavor to make the added moisture seem like a good idea. Experiment with whatever gluten-free flour you have on hand.
• You can use any kind of jam you like, obviously, but consider chocolate, pieces of some mushed up fruit (apple sauce, crushed pineapple, mashed banana, for instance), or even some sort of caramel.