Flourless Almond Butter cookies

For any time of year!

1 C almond butter

1 C brown sugar

1 egg

1 t baking soda

1/2 t cinnamon

1/2 t vanilla extract

1 C chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix everything together in a bowl, adding the chocolate chips at the end. Using moistened hands, form dough into small balls and arrange on 2 greased baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Cookies will flatten and spread during baking.

Bake until puffed, golden on bottom and still soft to touch in center, about 12 minutes. Cool on sheets 5 minutes and transfer to racks to cool.

Toasted Almond & Coconut Biscotti

A blend of a few different recipes and methods:

2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1/2 t almond extract, more to taste
2 T oil
3/4 C sugar
1 1/2 C flour
3/4 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/2 t nutmeg
1 C unsweetened coconut
1/2 C almonds, toasted and finely chopped

Combine eggs, extracts, oil, and sugar. Add dry ingredients and then stir in coconut and almonds. Dough will be a bit sticky.

Shape into 4" logs on a lightly floured surface. Place on greased cookie sheet or parchment lined cookie sheet and press logs to a 1"-thickness. Bake at 300 for 30 minutes, or until light brown. Remove and cook slightly, 5-10 minutes. Then cut each log into slices, diagonally if you want to be fancy. Bake each side for 15 minutes, or until golden on the bottom.

ALMOND MACAROONS

These are Kosher for Passover!

Makes about 2 dozen

3 or 4 egg whites
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
2 ½ cups blanched almonds
1 ½ t almond extract
pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats (Silpats).
2. Toast almonds in a skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan frequently until they become fragrant, about 5 minutes.
3. Combine sugar and almonds in food processor fitted with metal blade. Process for about 3 minutes, until it becomes a fine powder. Remove from food processor.
4. Clean and wipe dry food processor. Whip egg whites, salt, and extract together at medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Fold almond mixture into egg whites, turning over and over until incorporated. Batter will sticky.
5. Spoon batter by tablespoons onto prepared pans; cookies will spread to about 3-inch rounds, so leave plenty of room. Bake 1 sheet at a time until cookies are brown around the edges, 9-11 minutes. As soon as cookies come out of the oven, remove paper or Silpat with cookies on it from baking sheet. Let cookies cool completely before removing from paper; use a thin metal spatula if cookies stick.