Cocoa Almond Cookies

First off, let me start by saying, oh my gosh! It's been a few weeks since I posted a recipe! How did that happen? My favorite holiday happened. Traveling to be with family for Thanksgiving takes up a lot of time. And then getting back into the swing of things at home takes some time too :) Anyways, I am back and baking/cooking like crazy!

So almonds. Almonds are my friends. When you can't eat wheat and gluten you become limited in the types of flours and ingredients you can bake with and almonds are probably one of my favorite gluten free ingredients. I love almond butter, flour, paste, milk, and just almonds in general (all of which can be used to make some pretty tasty recipes). I have to be careful not to oversaturate myself in any particular ingredient (moderation in everything is key).

I came up with this recipe really because I was trying to figure out how to use the rest of my almond paste (which I had bought for my gluten free almond cake recipe that I will post sometime soon). These little cookies are a great addition to your holiday baking list (just make sure non of your neighbors or friends are allergic to nuts...) They go great with milk (Santa would love them), and even adding a dash of peppermint extract would make them even more holiday-ish :)



Cocoa Almond Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 F , makes 18 little cookies, line baking sheet with parchment paper

Ingredients

2 cups almond flour
1/3 cup coconut oil (softened not melted)
1 egg
1/3 cup almond paste
2 tbsp coconut sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

In a KitchenAid mixer or mixing bowl add in the coconut oil, almond paste, sugar and vanilla. Beat on low until a creamy paste forms. Add in the cinnamon, cocoa powder and egg. Mix on low until all incorporated. Next add in the flour and baking powder and soda. Mix on low until incorporated. Last add in the chocolate chips and mix briefly until evenly distributed throughout the dough. Using a regular kitchen table spoon, scoop out the cookies onto the baking sheet in little round drop (you can also use your hands to form little cookie disks), make sure they are evenly spaced. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until edges are completely firm. Let cool on rack for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!