These pistachio and date cookies are chewy, nutty and delicious. And are yet another recipe that I found over on Vegan Richa's site. I am now at two for two with her recipes. With very little changes being made to her recipe, which is highly unusual for someone like me. They are both vegan and gluten free.

Makes about 10 cookies

Ingredients

For the cookie dough
Dry ingredients

  • 1 cup or 100 g almond flour
  • 3 tablespoon or 23 g tapioca starch, or use potato starch
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoon or 27 g powdered sugar, or cane sugar

Wet ingredients

  • 1 tbsp refined coconut oil, melt before using 
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoon maple syrup
  • zest of 1/4 of a lemon, (Heaping 1/8 teaspoon)
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Cookie topping

  •  tablespoons or 60 g shelled raw unsalted pistachios. You can sub walnuts or pecans.
  • 8 small dates 60 g approximately, chopped into chunks
  • 2 teaspoons maple syrup. Or more as needed
  • pinch of salt
  • zest of 1/4 of a lemon
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Instructions

  • Make the cookie dough: Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Press and mix to break the almond flour lumps. Add the wet ingredients to it, (melted) coconut oil, vanilla, maple syrup, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix well. The mixture will be somewhat sticky, chill for 15-30 minutes.
  • In the meantime, make your topping; Add pistachios to a food processor and process until the nuts are evenly chopped and the mixture is close to a coarse meal. Then add dates, lemon zest, lemon juice, pinch of salt, and process for a few seconds, then add maple syrup. Process until the mixture is sticky. Add a bit more maple syrup if your dates are dry.
  • Once the mixture is getting somewhat sticky, remove it from the food processor. Take the chilled cookie dough from the fridge. Use a 1.5 -2 tbsp cookie scoop or spoon and scoop the mixture onto a  parchment lined baking sheet. It should make about 10 scoops.
  • Roll the scoops into even balls and then press into flat discs. Then top the disc with the nut mixture (You can just put small portions of the mixture and press it on the cookie. Or you can make a flat disc out of a nut mixture and press it over the cookie like a thumbprint. These cookies spread a lot, so add a good amount of topping
  • Bake at 330 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-14 minutes (16 mins for crunchier edges) minutes. Time depends on the size of the cookie and the cookie sheet you’re using. You might need to adjust it for 1 to 2 minutes more or less.
  • You want them to just start getting golden on the edges, but not any more than that, or they will get too crisp. The cookie will be soft when it comes out of the oven. Remove the baking sheet from the oven.
  • Let them cool for 10-15 minutes before taking them off the cookie sheet. Cool completely and serve.

    Store in a closed container on the counter for up to 3 days. Refrigerate for longer storage.