Almond 5-Spice Cookie Sandwich
High protein, gluten free, vegan, heart-healthy
I’m in love with simple, old fashioned spice cookies which remind me of my grandmother’s baking – but with a healthy twist. My cookies have no dairy, no eggs and no flour. Instead I use almond flour, maple syrup and coconut oil for melt-in-your-mouth-texture. Sandwiched between them is sticky date caramel – a perfect, creamy addition. Five spice adds fragrant, sweet licorice, cinnamon, clove, fennel and anise flavors to these addictive cookies. They are sure to become your favorite quick drop-cookies.
Almond 5-Spice Cookie Sandwich
© Sweets You Can Eat by Megan Matthews and Patricia Schroeck 2021
Ingredients
Dry
2 cups almond flour
1 tablespoon buckwheat flour
1 tablespoon whole anise seed
1 tablespoon chia seed
1 teaspoon ground Chinese five spice *
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Wet
1/4 cup refined coconut oil (melted)
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
whole anise seeds
large crystal salt
Caramel
3/4 cups dates, chopped
6 tablespoons coconut milk
3 tablespoons almond butter
1 tablespoon coconut oil (melted)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
*Chinese five spice; a blend of spices such as star anise, fennel, clove, cinnamon, licorice. It adds fragrant, sweet licorice flavor to your spice cookies
Makes 10 sandwich cookies
Find the ingredients & tools to make this recipe:
Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 350ºF/180ºC. Prepare 2 cookie sheets lined with parchment paper or sprayed with coconut or olive oil.
2. In a large bowl sift together almond and buckwheat flour, anise, chia, five spice, salt and baking soda. Make a well in the center of dry ingredients. Add Wet: melted coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla and almond extracts. Stir together until a sandy dough forms.
3. Scoop tight tablespoon-sized balls onto the cookie sheets. About 20 cookies. Press dough down to flatten a little. Tuck in sides to form each cookie into a pretty circle.
4. Top cookies with a pinch of large crystal salt plus anise seeds for decorations. Bake 12 minutes until cookies just begin to brown on the tops and bottoms.
5. Caramel: Add into a blender or food processor chopped dates, coconut milk, almond butter, coconut oil and vanilla. Blend on medium speed for 1-2 minutes until creamy. Refrigerate until cookies are completely cool.
6. Scoop 2 teaspoons cold caramel onto one cookie, fold a second cookie over the caramel to make sandwich cookies. Refrigerate until firm.
Photos by Milkshake Creative
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