Chocolate Almond Cookies – a DIY Cookie Mix

All year long I show you, my readers, lots of love by sharing nutritious, better-for-you recipes your families will love. Now that the holiday season is upon us, I’m giving everyone in the Liz’s Healthy Table universe that same opportunity with this “healthy” homemade Chocolate Almond Cookie mix that you’re welcome to gift to your family and friends.

Cookies don’t always have a stellar nutrition reputation. Case in point: During a recent web surf, I found a chocolate cookie recipe from a popular Food Network star (hint: she wears cowboy boots) with nearly 380 calories and a whopping 10 grams of saturated fat per cookie. Those two sticks of butter will get ya every time! Anyway, back to our better-for-you cookie …

 For this month’s Recipe Redux, I was challenged with adding merriment and good health to mixes. From hostess gifts to holiday gifts, my fearless Redux leaders asked me to come up with shelf-stable, DIY gifts from my kitchen, so I decided to show my love with a cookie recipe made with whole wheat flour, almonds, unsweetened cocoa powder, and other wholesome ingredients. And I put a little Martha-style magic into the mix by layering the dry ingredients in a Ball Jar and adorning it with a shiny golden ribbon!

5.0 from 1 reviews

Chocolate Almond Cookies

 

Author: Liz

Nutrition Information

• Serves: 36

• Serving size: 1 cookie
• Calories: 110

• Fat: 5g
• Saturated fat: 0.5g
• Carbohydrates: 13g
• Sodium: 75mg
• Fiber: 1g
• Protein: 2g

Recipe type: Dessert

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If you're looking for a creative gift idea for a friend, family member, teacher, or why not, the mailman, try this festive cookie mix. Simply layer the first six dry ingredients in a Mason jar and place in a gift bag along with the printed recipe. Feel free to toss in some fun kitchen gadgets while you're at it: a spatula, Silpat baking mats, decorating sugars and sprinkles. You get the drift! The bottom line: You can feel good about giving these cookies ... or receiving them.

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup almonds, very finely chopped, or 1 cup almond meal
• ¾ cup whole wheat flour
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar (or 1 cup packed brown sugar)
• ⅔ cup organic canola oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil or coat two large baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. Whisk together the contents of the jar---all-purpose flour, almonds, whole wheat flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt---in a large bowl and set aside.
3. Combine the sugar and oil in another large bowl and beat on medium speed until moistened and combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and continue to beat until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary.
4. At low speed, gradually beat in the flour/almond mixture until just combined.
5. Pour the sugar onto a plate. Roll the dough into 1¼-inch balls and coat evenly with the sugar. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, leaving a 1-inch space in between. Flatten the cookies slightly with the palm of your hand.
6. Bake about 10 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes before serving. Repeat with the remaining dough.

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