Vegan Thumbprint Cookies

 

I've made thumbprint cookies before but these are quite different.  The ones I made for Christmas had tons of butter and were very yummy but you probably shouldn't eat them too often (unless you want clogged arteries).  So when I found a recipe for a vegan version on The Kitchn I was curious to see how the two would compare.  After baking them and taste testing,  I would say that this vegan cookie is more like a granola bar type of snack rather than a dessert.  Although I probably wouldn't crave these cookies when I have a sweet tooth coming on, I would definitely not mind having a couple instead of a granola bar.  I hope you don't let the word "vegan" in the name turn you off from trying them! 

Note: The recipe is almost identical to the one on The Kitchn, but cut in half.

1 cup whole almonds

2 cups quick-cooking oats

1/8 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup maple syrup

strawberry jelly

Preheat oven to 350° F.  Have a baking sheet ready.  

In a food processor or blender pulse the almonds into almond meal.  If you want more texture don't pulse the almonds as much. Put the almond meal in a large bowl.

Mix in the oats, salt, and flour.  Pour in the oil first, and then maple syrup.  Use a wooden spoon to mix ingredients together.  Then use your hands to finish combining all ingredients.  Roll the dough into balls the size of whole walnuts and place on baking sheet.  The cookies don't expand much so they can be close together on the baking sheet.

Use the back of a teaspoon to make indentations in the middle of each dough ball.  Then scoop about a teaspoon of jelly on each cookie.

Bake for 15 minutes.  Let cookies cool on the sheet for 15 minutes before removing because they don't hold up too well when warm.