Over the summer we got pretty obsessed with these cookies. While we definitely don't follow the Primal Blueprint diet, we were intrigued by the idea of cookies with no flour and no sugar. So we made them no less than twenty times, tried out numerous variations, and got the thumbs-up from both gluten-free friends and consumers of regular cookies before we decided it was time to blog our version. We were going to wait until Passover, but these cookies are too good to be relegated to the "Passover dessert" category (keep them in mind when that time of year rolls around, though). These cookies have three almond sources--almond meal, slivered almonds and almond extract--with maple and warm spices singing backup. They're addictive and macaroon-like and disappear VERY quickly!
We tried both almond flour and almond meal and have found that we like almond meal better (it's a little coarser, so the texture is more complex). East Bay readers, you can get almond meal in the refrigerated section in the bulk aisle at the Berkeley Bowl, in the case with the pasta dough.
Modified from This Primal Life
1 and 1/4 cups almond meal
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
5 tablespoons melted unsalted butter (or coconut oil!)
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons almond extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine almond meal, slivered almonds, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cardamom. Mix together melted butter, maple syrup and almond extract and add to the dry ingredients, stirring well to combine. Drop tablespoonfuls of dough onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake on the top rack of your oven for 10 minutes, until the bottoms start to brown, and then transfer to a wire rack--they may not seem done when they come out, but they will firm as they cool and develop an amazing chewy texture. Let sit for 15-20 minutes before you EAT. THEM. ALL.
7 comments:
These look phenomenal. My husband LOVES macaroons and LOVESLOVESLOVES cardamom. :)
Thanks! This concept is a great canvas, so feel free to throw in whatever else your husband likes :)
I am impressed at your dedication to trying out variations. I did most of my experimenting right before a big family event so I wouldn't be tempted to eat whole batches. These look fantastic and you even got yours to lie flat!
We just smushed them down a little with the back of the spoon before we baked them to get them to lie flat--it was easy!
this isn't a criticism of you two or of your delicious cookies, but of the primal diet schtick--no sugar? i don't get it. there's actually quite a bit of sugar in them. do they mean no REFINED sugar, which would be about no processing chemicals and a few micronutrients? because sugar itself, in the body, just acts like . . . well, sugar.
I think it must be no refined sugar, but we know nothing about the Primal Blueprint--we just love cookies! Mmm, cookies...
i made these tonight, and cooked them as a pie crust almost and spooned cherries stewed with honey and cardamon over them. HOLY delicious! Thanks for the recipe (and for all the other inspiration surrounding Kale!)
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