Nut Cookies

3 cups (750 ml) whole-wheat flour
1 tsp (5 ml) baking powder
1 cup (250 ml) natural sugar such as Sucanat or Rapadura
1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
1 tsp (5 ml) pure almond extract
1/4 cup (60 ml) unsalted butter or coconut butter
1/2 cup (125 ml) milk
1/2 tsp (2 ml) salt
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) filberts, finely ground
milk to brush the cookies
50 filberts to decorate the cookies

Mix flour with baking powder and place it on a baking board or table. Make an indent in middle of flour and add sugar, spices, and milk. Knead about half of the flour mixture into dough. Cut cold butter or coconut butter into chunks and knead it into the dough together with the remainder of the flour. If the dough sticks slightly, wrap it and refrigerate for half an hour.

Roll out dough to about 1/8 of an inch (0.5 cm). It is best to divide the dough into smaller portions and handle each portion separately. Cut out round cookies about 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter.

Place cookies on a greased cookie sheet. Brush with milk and decorate by pressing half a filbert in the middle of each cookie. Bake cookies in preheated oven at 375°F (190°C) for about twelve to fifteen minutes, until edges are golden brown. Makes about 100 cookies.

source: "Brain Food",  alive #252, October 2003