Today Lion and I took advantage of nap time to try a new recipe we found online. Our quest for a new recipe came after going through the pantry and realizing we have a very large bag of almond flour we need to use up. A quick google search of “almond flour cookies” gave us a plethora of delectable looking options – but in the end it was the shortbread cookies that really captured our attention. This may be in part because upon looking at the recipe we realized quickly we had everything for it – then again it may also have had something to do with the fact that I am a sucker for a good shortbread cookie. A lovely shortbread – not too sweet – along side a nice hot cup of tea is so comforting!

Things I am happy to report about this new recipe (which is definitely going into our collection)…

1. It is ridiculously easy and quick!
2. The ingredient list is short and sweet! Oh and might I add – entirely from the pantry!
3. They turned out delicious!
4. They’re actually a pretty healthy treat when you break it down!

Lion and I had a great time making these super easy cookies today. I highly recommend making this recipe with kids as it is pretty fool proof and doesn’t require any special skills, tools, or tricks. Mix, roll, flatten, bake, cool, enjoy! In particular I think this would be a great first time recipe with kids because there aren’t an overwhelming number of ingredients, complicated techniques, or raw ingredients that can’t be eaten without cooking. So if they overmix the dough or eat half of the dough before it makes its way onto the cookie sheet you’re going to be okay.

Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies

• 1.5 cups almond flour
• 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1-2 teaspoons almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a bowl until dough can be formed into small balls. The dough will be a bit sticky. Roll into 12 balls, place on a parchment lined cookie sheet, and then flatten (with a fork, the bottom of a cup, or your fingers). Dipping your fork or cup base into water and coconut oil or spraying with coconut oil helps prevent the cookies from sticking. These cookies hold their shape really well while cooking so if you really want to go crazy you could probably chill the dough, roll it out and then use fun shaped cookie cutters – that have been given a decent coating of coconut oil. Then place into a 325 F or 160 C oven for 10-12 min. This yields a crisp on the outside slightly chewy on the inside cookie. For a more crisp cookie throughout allow to cook for 12-15 min – keeping a close eye on them the last minute to make sure they don’t burn. Today we had a bake time of 13 min (I originally set the timer for 11 min but then added 2 min), and I am very happy with how they turned out! Allow cookies to stand on the hot cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack or the counter. Once cooled enjoy immediately or store in a jar on the countertop. Because these cookies don’t contain egg or dairy there’s no need to store in an airtight container or the fridge (though you can if you really want).

Side note – you may notice our cookies are darker in color than expected for a shortbread cookie. This is because we used ‘natural’ almond flour versus ‘super fine.’ The most common almond flour in stores is the ‘super fine’ which will yield a nice pale cookie that mimics traditional white flour. If you want to make these for a fancy tea party, or fool a friend into trying gluten free cookies – super fine almond flour is the way to go. If you don’t care about the color do what we do – buy whichever one is on sale!

We hope you’ll give this deliciously simple (gluten free) shortbread cookie recipe a try! If you do, please feel free to leave a comment and let us know how it goes. From all of us here in the Wee Lairds Kitchen we wish you good health and happy baking!