Thumbprint Cookies

A healthy and oh, so delicious take on a classic cookie, mine has almond flour, sprouted flour and rich, dark chocolate in the center.

Makes about 30 cookies

Ingredient List:

• 5 tablespoons vegan butter substitute, cold
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• Pinch sea salt
• 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup finely ground almond or hazelnut meal (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
• ½ cup sprouted whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour

Chocolate Filling

• 1 ounce non-dairy, dark chocolate chips (I use Lily’s Sweets Premium Baking Chips)
• 2 teaspoons brown rice syrup (I use Suzanne’s Specialties)

Step By Step Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment.

Place all ingredients for the dough in a medium bowl. Using a stand mixer, hand mixer or whisk, mix ingredients until a sticky, firm dough forms.

With damp hands, form the dough into 1-inch balls and arrange on baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Using your thumb, make an indent in the center of each cookie. Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating the trays midway through baking. Note that 10 minutes will yield a soft cookie, while 12 minutes will yield a firmer cookie.

Carefully transfer the cookies to a wire cooking rack and once cooled, fill them with chocolate filling. Make the chocolate filling by placing chocolate and rice syrup in a glass bowl over simmering water. Stir constantly until the chocolate is smooth, creamy and shiny. Place a dollop in the center of each cookie.

Cook’s Tip: You may also put fruit preserves in the center of the cookies in place of chocolate. When you press your thumb into the centers of the cookies, scoop a tiny amount of preserves to fill them. Bake the cookies and the preserves will melt and set.