Coconut Almond Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
I admit it: healthy cookie recipes scare me a little. But these Coconut Almond Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies are one of my favorite cookie recipes of all time. And, yes, they’re vegan.
I know that vegan isn’t synonymous with healthy, but still: I never thought that a cookie made without butter could be a favorite of mine. But here we are.
I first tried these cookies years ago while visiting my friends at Earthbound Farm Organic in northern California. The recipe is from Straight from the Earth: Irresistible Vegan Recipes for Everyone, one of the many amazing cookbooks by Earthbound founder Myra Goodman (this one is co-written by Myra’s daughter, Marea). Myra says that these cookies will make you believe in magic because they’ll disappear right before your eyes. She’s not joking.
These are a fantastic everyday cookie, but they’re delicious enough to make for the holidays too.
Coconut Almond Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
2 tablespoons very hot water
½ cup (120 ml) melted coconut oil
½ cup (100 g) sugar
1 cup (140 g) whole-wheat pastry flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup (40 g) raw, unsalted almonds, lightly toasted and finely chopped
½ cup (40 g) unsweetened shredded coconut
5 tablespoons (75 ml) raspberry jam
Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 325F. Lightly grease a large baking sheet (or line it with a silpat liner) and set aside. In the meantime, combine the ground flaxseed with the hot water in a large bowl and let it sit until thickened, about 5 to 10 minutes (this is our egg substitute). Whisk in the oil and sugar.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined, then fold in the nuts and coconut. The mixture will be dry and crumbly, but will hold together when squeezed.
Use a 1-tablespoon measure to scoop out 15 slightly heaping tablespoons of dough and roll them into balls. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet and press down until they are about 2 inches/5 cm wide and ⅓ inch/8 mm thick, pressing the sides together to keep them from breaking apart. Using your thumbs, press indentations in the center of each cookie that are big enough to hold 1 teaspoon jam, repairing any big cracks as you go. Fill each indentation with jam.
Bake the cookies until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the cookies cool for a few minutes before transferring them directly onto the rack to cool completely. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
