Almond Butter Cookies (Vegan)

Finished Cookies. 

Well, we have entered the eating season, ushered in by Halloween. We start with sweets and will quickly move to savory with Thanksgiving and go all out with Christmas mixing any and every sweet, savory, fattening, decadent, delicious and amazing flavor we can sink our teeth into. Most people know that baking is my Zen space and I have my go-to recipes, one of which I've shared Lazy Sunday Banana Bread. I've become a bit more adventurous with my baking exploring the gluten-free world and becoming more intrigued by substitutions for butter (which I am not completely ready to abandon). Today I decided to make some vegan cookies. I love to bake for my students and recently I've learned that several of the students for whom I bake have embraced the vegan lifestyle. I've decided to try baking vegan cookies and here is the result. These cookies provide a soul-satisfying cookie crunch and are packed with protein. I'm still perfecting this recipe; however, I have to admit that they are pretty tasty.

Almond Butter Cookies with Maldon Salt
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup gluten-free baking mix
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup of natural almond butter (ground mine at Fresh Market)
1 cup of good-quality Maple syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pur almond extract
1/2 teaspoon Maldon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat  oven 350℉ and line two baking sheets with parchment paper (or silicone baking sheet).

Whisk together the baking mix, find sea salt, ad baking powder. In a separate bowl, whisk together the almond butter, maple syrup, vanilla and almond extracts. Thoroughly combine the wet and dry ingredients. Using a small scoop, drop balls of dough onto the baking sheet about two inches apart. Wet fingertips and press down on each cookies, smoothing the edges so each is a little disk. Sprinkle each cookie with just a a bit of cinnamon and Maldon salt.
Bake until the cookies are firm, 10-12 minutes.
Let them cool on a rack before serving.

This is a good combination of sweet and salty. A little of each, nothing too over the top. I think they will be good in the AM with some delicious French Roast coffee.

Interesting fact: Roman soldiers were paid in salt, which is where the word salary comes from.