Raspberry Lemon Thumbprint Cookies {Vegan}
A rainy Sunday in Paris = a trip to the bookstore, a visit to the rue de Bretagne brocante (one of my favorites of the year) and a stop off at Le Marché des Enfants Rouge for some fresh thyme and beautiful lemons. With Marc at work and the house to myself, I got a bee in my bonnet to make Raspberry Lemon Thumbprint Cookies. I love all kinds – apricot jam, raspberry jam, chocolate, etc. Growing up, we used to go the bakery and buy them because for some reason, they seemed difficult to make, but in fact no – they are quite easy. The juxtaposition of the cookie as it crumbles in your mouth and the jam, once cooked, becomes almost chewy. I must say that it’s hard to eat just one 😉
Having taken refined sugar out of my diet, I began playing around with the recipe. I started with almond meal, which you can make on your own my grinding the almonds in a food processor, but I find the meal is finer when bought in bulk. For this recipe, I add in roasted chopped hazelnuts to give the dough a bit more texture. Other things to have on hand are maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla extract and lemon. You will also need baking soda, which can be found in Paris at specialty food shops. I remember looking for it when I first came to Paris and was told that biocarbonate de soude could be purchased at the pharmacy. That’s Paris for you! And as for the jam, you can use store bought, but I’m a believer in making it yourself. For this recipe, I used Raspberry Chia Seed Jam that I made over the holidays, but you can check out this recipe for a similar jam I made last summer.
So all in all, it was a perfect Sunday. I read Anais Nin, I made an infusion of lemon, thyme and honey, I perused the brocante in the hopes of finding new kitchenware, I cooked, I listened to music and I ate one too many cookies! A girl can’t ask for much more!
Raspberry Lemon Thumbprint Cookies {V, GF, RSF}
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups / 360 mL almond meal
2 Tbsp / 30 mL (= deux cuillérée à soupe or cs in French) hazelnuts, roasted & chopped
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup / 60 mL coconut oil, melted
1 tsp / 5 mL (= une cuillérée à café or cc in French) vanilla extract
3 Tbsp / 45 mL (= trois cuillérée à soupe or cs in French) maple syrup (or honey, if not vegan)
1/2 Tbsp / 2.5 mL (= le moitie d’une cuillérée à soupe or cs in French) lemon zest
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup raspberry chia seed jam
METHOD
Preheat oven to 175 degrees C or 375 degrees F
Place parchment paper on your cookie sheet.
Roast hazelnuts over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Let cool and chop or use a mortar and pestle.
In a large mixing bowl, combine almond meal, chopped hazelnuts and baking soda.
In a separate bowl, mix together melted coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract, lemon zest and lemon juice.
Add to dry ingredients. With a spoon, create small-sized balls and once placed on parchment paper, gentle press your thumb to form a deep well. You can then reform your cookie to make a circle.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
- 1½ cups / 360 mL almond meal
- 2 Tbsp / 30 mL (= deux cuillérée à soupe or cs in French) hazelnuts, roasted & chopped
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ cup / 60 mL coconut oil, melted
- 1 tsp / 5 mL (= une cuillérée à café or cc in French) vanilla extract
- 3 Tbsp / 45 mL (= trois cuillérée à soupe or cs in French) maple syrup (or honey, if not vegan)
- ½ Tbsp / 2.5 mL (= le moitie d'une cuillérée à soupe or cs in French) lemon zest
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ cup raspberry chia seed jam
- Preheat oven to 175 degrees C or 375 degrees F
- Place parchment paper on your cookie sheet.
- Roast hazelnuts over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Let cool and chop or use a mortar and pestle.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine almond meal, chopped hazelnuts and baking soda.
- In a separate bowl, mix together melted coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract, lemon zest and lemon juice.
- Add to dry ingredients. With a spoon, create small-sized balls and once placed on parchment paper, gentle press your thumb to form a deep well. You can then reform your cookie to make a circle.
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.