Almond Butter Maple Cookies

These cookies have a perfect mix of sweetness and crunchiness. Almond butter raises the fat numbers, but most of this comes from beneficial monounsaturated fatty acids.

1/2 cup (125 mL) almond butter
1/2 cup (125 mL) maple syrup, No. 2 or No. 3
3 Tbsp (45 mL) vegetable oil
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla or almond extract
1 cup (250 mL) whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp (2 mL) baking soda
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
1/2 cup (125 mL) almonds, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C).

In large bowl, mix together almond butter, maple syrup, oil, and extract.

In separate bowl, blend together flour, baking soda, and salt.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in almonds.
Refrigerate dough for at least an hour.

Roll heaping tablespoons of dough into balls, place onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, and flatten to about 1/3 in (0.8 cm). Bake for 10 minutes or until the edges begin to turn golden brown.

Yields 12 cookies.

Each cookie contains: 188 calories; 4 g protein; 12 g total fat (1 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 19 g carbohydrates; 2 g fibre; 51 mg sodium

source: "A Touch of Maple", alive #340, February 2011