ALMOND JOY COOKIE

Almond flour and unsweetened coconut flakes are two ingredients I bake with more than anything else. They're so versatile, so gut friendly and lend so nicely to baked goods, whether it's cookies, quick breads, or cakes. Also, for anyone trying to eat clean, Keto, or Whole Thirty, these fit right into your agenda and satisfy your sweet tooth without filling you up on unnecessary wheat and sugar, which only disrupt your natural gut function. On my search for more sweet tooth recipes that incorporate coconut and almond flour, I came across a great cookbook called The Sprouted Kitchen by author, mom, and chef Sara Forte. She also has a great blog by the same name. In it, she creates an almond meal cookie with coconut and cacao that instantly caught my eye. My first go with this cookie, warm out of the oven, had me swearing that this had to be one of the best sweets I've ever made or had. I'll never forget the first bite. It reminded me of an Almond Joy crossed with a macaroon with tender bits of coconut, crumbly almond, and dotted with bits of melted dark chocolate throughout. I also started adding cinnamon after a few batches and it really adds to the warmth of the flavors. If you're a fan of coconut and almonds and trying to forgo the Hershey additives like corn syrup, lactose, soy lecithin, hydrogenated oils, and any other gut disrupters, I suggest giving this a try and putting the power of real whole food into your own hands. The ingredients and the results will have you questioning all those bad choices you make in the sweet aisle, trust me. The recipe makes about 20 small cookies but let me give you full warning, they can easily be eaten in one sitting so I like to double the recipe. If you want to make these vegan, Sara uses cacao but I like using dark chocolate both because of the way it tastes and I find it's more available. If you're vegan, feel free to substitute the chocolate for cacao nibs and the egg for a flax egg (1 TBSP ground flaxseed to 3 TBSP water).

Ingredients

1 + 1/4 cups almond flour

1/4 cup chopped dark chocolate (60-70% works great)

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 egg

3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

Method

1. In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, dark chocolate, coconut, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.

2. In a small bowl, whisk the egg until it doubles in size. Whisk in coconut oil and vanilla, and stir into the dry ingredients until combined.

3. Let it chill in the fridge for up to 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375F.

4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. With a tablespoon measure, roughly scoop out enough to just fill the line, and place the little inch half domes two inches apart on the baking sheet. Press slightly down to flatten.

5. Bake 10 minutes, or until edges just begin to brown. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving. If you’re feeling fancy, sprinkle confectioners sugar on top. Enjoy!