Almond Butter Cookies

Does your wish list for 2015 include eating in a healthier fashion? Say, hello to almond butter. (See my post notes to find out why.)  Straight from the jar or baked into a cookie, almond butter is awesome! (Do believe the younger people in my life have influenced my vocabulary choices!)

This recipe is adapted from a peanut butter cookies recipe at That Skinny Chick Can Bake.

Ingredients: 
  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 sticks of softened butter (I used an 8 ounce bar of unsalted grass-fed Irish dairy farms’ Kerrygold)
  • 1 cup almond butter
  • 1 cup organic light brown sugar
  • ¾ cup organic cane sugar (plus extra for rolling cookie dough balls)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions: 

In one bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Whip up the butter in a kitchen stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Scoop the almond butter into the bowl with the butter. Beat until combined. Add the sugars and keep the paddle whirring for another 5 minutes. Scrape the bowl (and scrape often as you mix in the other ingredients.) Beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the vanilla. Slowly incorporate in the dry ingredients.

Chill for two hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Let the dough warm up a few minutes and spoon up tablespoonfuls of almond butter cookie dough. (A mini ice cream scoop does the job perfectly.) Roll the cookie dough balls in the extra sugar. Place on parchment lined cookie sheets. Dip a fork into sugar and flatten the dough balls with a criss-cross design. Or simply flatten the balls with a small glass dipped in sugar. Chill for another two hours or overnight (to avoid excessive spreading while in the oven.) Bake in a 350 degrees oven for 12 minutes or until the edges turn a lovely golden brown.

Makes about 60 petite almond butter cookies