Lola’s Favorite Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies

MAKES ABOUT 16 COOKIES • PREP TIME: 5 minutes • COOK TIME: 15 to 17 minutes

I asked my editor if I could get away with a two-word headnote for this: “Eat these!!” But she said, “No, Rebecca. You need to say more.” Sigh. How about “Eat these now!” That’s what my dog Lola did. We left them on the kitchen table, wrapped in layers of parchment and foil. Lola didn’t care. Her doggy delight senses shorted out her inhibition system (such as it is), and when we returned to the kitchen, she had jumped up on the table like a mountain goat and absconded with eight cookies. Fortunately, the chocolate content was low enough, and Lola big enough, that the vet said she’d be fine; she was, but there was no dinner for her that night. These are flourless, a blend of almond butter, egg, vanilla, cocoa nibs, and chocolate chips. The chocolate is guaranteed to elevate your mood. It sure elevated Lola’s!

1/2 cup organic coconut palm sugar (see Cook’s Note)
1 organic egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup organic unsalted almond butter
1 cup dark chocolate chips (70% cacao)
1/4 cup cocoa nibs
1/8 teaspoon fleur de sel or another large crystal salt

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

Sugar, egg, vanilla, and salt in a bowl and mix well. Add the almond butter stirring to combine. Incorporate the chocolate chips and cocoa nibs. Using a 2-tablespoon scoop, evenly space scoops of the mixture on the baking sheet. Press down with a spatula or back of the spoon to slightly flatten. Sprinkle each cookie with a bit of fleur de sel. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, until the cookies bounce back when touched. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then using a spatula transfer to a cooling rack. Allow to cool for another 10 minutes.

VARIATIONS: Substitute cashew butter or walnut butter for the almond butter. Substitute 1/4 cup of dried cranberries for 1/4 cup of the chocolate chips.

COOK'S NOTE: Coconut palm sugar is gaining popularity because of its naturally low glycemic load. It is produced from the nutrient-dense nectar of the tropical coconut palm tree flower, which is dried in a drum to become a delicious whole brown sugar that adds a depth of flavor and natural color. If you don’t have coconut palm sugar, you can substitute turbinado sugar.

Reprinted with permission from The Healthy Mind Cookbook Copyright © 2015 by Rebecca Katz with Mat Edelson, Ten Speed Press, a division of the Crown Publishing Group, Berkeley, CA.