Almond Butter and Chia Seed Cookies
Author: 
Serves: makes 20 3½-inch cookies
 
Ingredients
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup natural cane sugar (e.g. Sucanat) or regular granulated sugar
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup raw, unsalted, creamy almond butter
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ teaspoon 100% pure vanilla extract
  • 1 ¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour or gluten-free oat flour*
  • ¼ cup ground almond meal (buy this already ground or make your own by processing blanched almonds in a food processor until powdery)
  • ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • ¾ teaspoon aluminum-free baking soda
  • 2 Tablespoons chia seeds (optional, but fun!)
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Cream the butter, sugars and almond butter with an electric mixer until light in color, about 4 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla. Beat until well blended.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, almond meal, sea salt, baking soda and chia seeds. Add to the mixing bowl and stir until just combined.
  4. Using a 1 ¾ -inch ice cream scooper, drop batter onto prepared pans. Press down lightly on the cookie with the tines of a fork, making criss-cross marks. Bake 14-15 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.
  5. Cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute and then transfer to a cooling rack.
Notes
To make a smaller cookie, use a 1 ¼-inch scooper and bake for 9-10 minutes.

If you like a thicker cookie, refrigerate the dough for a few hours before scooping.

*Oat flour results in a more tender, cake-ier cookie.
Recipe by Pamela Salzman at https://pamelasalzman.com/almond-butter-and-chia-seed-cookies/