Cookie trends using as few ingredients as possible are all over social media. You may have seen the ones that are flourless, or consist of only four, or even as little as three, ingredients.
When preparing for a whole food-plant based diet, cooks often use dates as sweeteners. This recipe using the concept of creating a cookie with only two ingredients sounds impossible. But by using nut butters, we add flavor, and all the fat needed in a cookie recipe, eliminating butter or shortening. By combining dates ground into a paste, with peanut butter, almond butter, sun butter, or any other nut butter, a very simple two-ingredient cookie is doable.
The dates add a good amount of sweetness, but dark chocolate chips may be added after the cookies come out of the oven for a sweeter bite. I’ve also used other flavored chips, such as pumpkin spice chips. Or I bake the cookies, topping each one with a blanched almond.
The texture of the cookie is rather chewy and is slightly different than the ones made with all-purpose flour, or even almond flour, but still a delightful, healthy treat.
In my recipe supporting this method, I am using almond butter, and Medjool dates. Any type of date can be used, but I like the caramel-like flavor and consistency of the Medjools.
Enjoy food made fresh!
Almond Delight Cookies
1 cup Medjool dates, pitted 1 cup almond butter Optional – blanched almonds, or dark chocolate chips for topping Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Pour hot water over the pitted dates and soak for 15 minutes to soften. Drain water and set dates aside.
Add almond butter and prepared dates to a food processor and pulse until well blended. Scoop out dough about the size of a walnut and roll into a ball. Roll a total of 15 balls, placing on the prepared cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Press the center of each one down with your thumb. If adding a blanched almond, add before baking.
Bake for 13 to 15 minutes. If adding chocolate pieces to the center of each cookie, add them while the cookies are still hot. Let cool. Makes 15 cookies.
Angelina LaRue, author of “The Whole Enchilada: Fresh and Nutritious Southwestern Cuisine,” grew up at White River Lake, lives in Idalou and writes a weekly food column for local newspapers.
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