Eating almonds benefits your health in so many ways, and almond cookies are very easy to make and gluten free because we use ground almonds instead of flour. This also means that the cookies are a great source of protein.
So, let’s break it down – these nutritious nuts are beneficial for (deep breath) your immune system, lowering bad cholesterol, building bones and teeth and keeping your oxygen and nutrients flowing freely through the blood and they contain Vitamin E, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorous, Potassium and are packed full of anti-oxidants! Whew
For the purposes of this dessert, I made large thick cookies and removed them from the oven before they were over cooked in the middle, as I wanted them to be soft but you could make them thinner if you prefer. I popped one large cookie on a plate, rolled a nice helping of this vegan ice cream, added some berries and sprinkled some cacao nibs on top. Not only do these finishing touches make your plate look nice, but they add extra vitamins and anti-oxidants – truly a dessert with benefits!
Ingredients
• 2 cups of ground almonds
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1/8 a teaspoon of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup of maple syrup
• 1/3 cup of coconut oil melted
• 1/2 cup chopped dried fruit (your choice – apricots, cranberries, dates, figs)
• 1/2 cup of chopped hazelnuts (or walnuts or cashews)
• 1 egg
Method
✓ Preheat your oven to 200°C
✓ Combine the Almonds, Sea Salt and Baking Powder in a bowl
✓ Separately combine the wet ingredients✓ Mix the wet and dry ingredients together
✓ Finally fold in the dried fruit and the chopped hazelnuts. ✓ Spoon onto parchment paper and pop in the oven for 12 minutes.
✓ However, check after 10 in case your oven is different. Enjoy!!
Storage
Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days and they also freeze really well.