Apricot Thumbprint Cookies

As healthy as a cookie can get (I think), and fun to make, and tasty!

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup almonds (ground into 1 1/2 cups meal)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/3 cup cold-pressed vegetable oil or melted, unsalted butter

1/3 cup apricot juice (or apple)

1/3 cup maple syrup or concentrated fruit sweetener

1 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Apricot preserves

Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour, almonds, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, mix oil, juice, syrup, and extracts together. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix well, kneading a little. Form dough into balls and flatten to make circles. Place on lightly oiled cookie sheet. Indent each cookie with your thumb or your child's thumb and put 1/2 teaspoon in the imprint. Bake 15 minutes, until edges turn golden.

Prep time: 30 minutes

Makes 24 cookies

Orange Hazelnut Thumbprint Cookies: Replace almonds with hazelnuts. Replace apricot juice with orange juice. Add 1/2 teaspoon orange zest to dry ingredients.