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Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Chewy Chocolate-Almond Cookies


Hm. This looks like a grainy oatmeal-raisin cookie, and, honestly, that couldn't be further from the genre here. These are sticky-chewy-chocolatey, and grain-free, appearances to the contrary notwithstanding. Not that I don't love a good, grainy oatmeal-raisin cookie.
I made these cookies because my friend Nicole brought them over, and they were so insanely crispy and chewy and teeth-stickingly marvelous that I hunted down the recipe from her Pinterest board. Now, oddly, Nicole’s cookies were pale beige and smooth. Mine came out dark brown and nubbly.


Perhaps it was because she didn’t use coconut sugar? Because we used different types of almond butter? No matter, though, as both versions are simply amazing.

Obligatory stacked-cookie shot. Again with the whole-wheat appearance. Trust me, okay?
One disclosure: even though I got all the big-ticket ingredients at Trader Joe’s, these are not inexpensive cookies to make. 


Nonetheless, they have a great deal of food value—protein, healthy fats, phytochemicals—so I think of them as a good investment and a perfect lunch-box cookie. Plus, did I mention how amazing they are?

 

Chewy Chocolate-Almond Cookies
This recipe is adapted from the Slim Palate. I did not sprinkle these with flakey salt, like she recommends, and I’m not sure why. (Okay, it’s because I tasted the raw dough, and it seemed like it was already perfectly salted—which it was!) If you’ve made these peanut butter cookies before, the dough is a lot like that—oily and weird, but the cookies bake up beautifully. These are low-glycemic and gluten-free. And Paleolithic. Because nobody was as healthy as those early hominids, what with their ripe old average lifespan of 33.

1 cup creamy almond butter
¾ cup coconut sugar (or regular granulated sugar)
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon kosher salt (more if your almond butter is unsalted)
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract (This is my addition. I like the little bit of green-almond flavor to balance the roastedness of the nut butter.)
4 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped, or chocolate chips or chunks (I used ¾ cup Trader Joe’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks)

Heat the oven to 350 and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. (I used Silpats.)

Use a wooden spoon to beat the almond butter and coconut sugar together in a medium bowl, then beat in the baking soda and salt. Use a fork to beat together the egg, egg yolk, and extracts together in a small bowl or mug, then add the egg mixture to the almond-butter mixture and mix well. Stir in the chocolate. (The dough will seem weird—pasty and oily—and that’s fine.)

Use a cookie scoop to measure out rounded blobs and space them well apart on the cookies sheets.

Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, until just set and browning around the edges. (I’d say “don’t overbake them,” but, then, I’ll bet you weren’t planning to overbake them.) Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.

22 comments:

  1. dale in denver6:12 PM

    You're alive! And with a gluten-free recipe to boot! I <3 you so hard right now!

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  2. These sound delightful! I just made a similar batch of cookies to your peanut butter recipe, but I used mostly cashew butter (trying to clear out the cupboard) with just a touch of peanut butter to meet to measured amount. I definitely see myself trying these out sometime soon.

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  3. Enjoying the mental image of paleolithic people eating these cookies.

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  4. Not to out paleo you, but I just made these with 1/2 cup of maple syrup and they are delish. (Also they are pale brown and smooth). Curious, no?

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    Replies
    1. Wow. Yum. Did you have to bake them longer?

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  5. I cannot wait to make these! Yum!!

    By the way, making your chipotle lime potato salad AND dilly beans tomorrow for weekend potlucks! I'll be lucky to actually get the potato salad *to* the potlucks, though, since I usually stand at the counter eating it as soon as it is finished.

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    Replies
    1. I'm the same. I love that salad so much! xo

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  6. These are just coming out of the oven and they are WONDERFUL! I know you said the dough would be odd, but mine was really, really odd - sort of gushing oil... I was starting to panic because I splurged on the pricey Whole Foods almond butter, but they turned out fabulous! Crunchy and chewy, and not a bit oily! Thank you...

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  7. oooh, this look like an excellent way to use up that jar of almond butter that's just sitting unused in my fridge because my kids decided all of a sudden they don't like almond butter (end rant). Double bonus for a dairy-free recipe. Did you know that the giant 5lb bag of Costco brand chocolate chips are dairy free and actually taste good? Because that was basically my dairy-allergic son's greatest find in the history of the universe.

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    Replies
    1. I did know that!! I have a standing order for a bag every time my parents go to Costco!

      Just had to chime in.

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    2. Smooches9:11 PM

      Thanks for that tip! I'm making these for a gluten-free/dairy-free friend. :-)

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  8. These look really whimper-worthy. Thanks for sharing. But - I follow SlimPalate on Instagram, and I'm preeeetty sure it's a dude. Like an 18 year old dude.

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    1. dude.

      http://slimpalate.com/my-weight-loss-journey-to-health-and-beyond-before-and-after-photos/

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  9. Hi Catherine! These look divine...but what I am *REALLY* hankering for is the recipe for your cold noodle bowl. That dressing! To die for. Any chance you can migrate it over here? Many thanks!

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  10. Oh, I am DEFINITELY going and getting some coconut sugar next time. I like the dark brown color - that's what I hoped for! Yummy!!!!

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  11. gluten free wheeeee!

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  12. Anonymous12:40 PM

    I love "greens" but don't know enough. Never even thought of eating violets. Recently had "fricoide glaciale" for the first time in a salad. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesembryanthemum_crystallinum
    It was the strangest juiciest leaf ever and would like to eat it again. Kim from BCN

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  13. These cookies are AMAZING! Thanks.

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  14. Oh and roll in coconut before baking.

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