My almond butter and jelly cookies take me all the way back to elementary school and those yummy peanut butter and jelly sandwiches my mom used to make – they’re soft on the inside and slightly crunchy on the outside. And, best of all, they stick to the roof of my mouth just like a real peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
I came across a new cookbook that I absolutely love – Gluten-Free Baking by Rebecca Reilley
I don’t think I’ve ever said this before about any other book but if you don’t have this book, you should buy it now.
I’ve been playing around with some of her desserts. These delightful cookies have been adapted from her book – I reduced both the butter and almond butter and replaced it with applesauce to cut out some fat. I also used almond butter instead of peanut butter – I don’t eat peanut butter and almond butter is healthier.
They use garbanzo bean and brown rice flour. The more I cook with garbanzo bean flour, the more I love it. It’s is excellent for getting more fiber in your diet and is has some extra protein. Being a bean flour, it’s best used in dishes that include fruit purees or spices to mask the beany flavor. If you taste the batter, you get a beany aftertaste which literally disappears in the oven. And we all know that brown rice is a good grain. You can feel good about giving these goodies to your family.
A hint about making these cookies – they do spread slightly while they’re baking so I overfill the centers with fruit preserves. I like a lot of fruit with these, and overfilling allows the preserves to spread with the cookie and I end up with just the right amount.
Joe came home from work the other night to a house full of the mouthwatering smell of fresh baked almond butter cookies and baking racks stacked with them. He ate one, smiled, and said he was having at least three for dessert. I sent the rest to work with him and got the thumbs up, too.
Slightly Indulgent Mondays will be up Sunday night around 9 pm CST. There will be another great give-away and lots of great food made a little bit healtheir. Link up or just leave a comment for a chance to win.
This post is linked to:
- Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum
- Finer Things Friday at Amy’s Finer Things
What are your current favorite cookbooks? I know you have at least two. Let’s talk about it.
Almond Butter & Jelly Cookies
makes 24 medium sized cookies¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup agave nectar
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
¾ cup creamy almond butter
1 cup garbanzo bean flour
1 cup brown rice flour
¾ teaspoon xanthan gum
½ teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
your favorite all-fruit, sugarless preservesIn the bowl of a stand mixer
fitted with the whisk
attachment, cream butter until white. Add the agave and beat until very light, about 5 minutes. Add the applesauce and mix until blended – the mixture will appear curdled. That’s ok. Put almond butter in the microwave for 20 – 30 seconds, until soft but not hot. Add to butter mixture and mix well.
Sift together garbanzo bean flour, brown rice flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add to wet ingredients until mixed well. Cover and let sit for at least an hour before baking.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Use a small ice cream scoop or a cookie scoop
with a spring release to scoop dough. Roll into a ball using clean hands and place on sheet. Using your thumb, press down into the center of each cookie then fill with ½ teaspoon of sugarless fruit preserves.
Bake for 10 – 12 minutes, until set. Cookies will seem under baked. Let cool on a baking rack. Try not to eat them all at once.
Enjoy!
