Delicato Jam Drops

This recipe was given to me by a good friend. This cookie is a bit of a healthier spin on traditional jam drops and is just as delicious.

Ingredients

1 cup almond meal

1 cup rolled oats, ground in blender

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp cinnamon

pinch of salt

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup canola oil

1 jar of jam of choice

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line two cookie sheets with baking parchment and set aside.

Grind the oats in a food processor until a coarse meal forms. Add whole wheat flour, almond meal, salt, and cinnamon and process until well mixed. Add maple syrup and canola oil and combine well.

With your hands, form walnut sized balls and press your thumb into the middle of it to create a small well. Place a little bit of jam in each well and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy!

Music suggestions:

• String Quartet in F Major, Op. 18, No. 1: I. Allegro Con Brio- Ludwig van Beethoven
• Prelude in D, Op. 23, No. 4- Sergei Rachmaninoff

Portamento Pecan Mudslides

I found this recipe on chocolateandzucchini.com. These cookies provide the ultimate chocolate fix. Be sure to have a glass of milk handy!

Ingredients

15 oz. Trader Joe's semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup pecan halves, coarsely chopped

2/3 cup sugar

2 1/2 Tbsp vegan butter, softened

2 eggs

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Line two cookie sheets with baking parchment and set aside

In a double boiler, melt 8 oz. of the chocolate chips and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour to the butter mixture and combine well. Mix in the melted chocolate and add in the remaining 7 0z. of chocolate chips and chopped pecans. Place bowl in refrigerator and allow the dough to chill for about 20 minutes. Remove dough and and shape into walnut sized balls. Be sure to work quickly so that the dough does not become warm and sticky. Bake the cookies for 15 minutes and allow to sit for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool. Enjoy!

Music suggestions:

• Shreveport Stomp- Jelly Roll Morton
• La Ronde des Lutins (Dance of the Goblin), Op. 25- Antonio Bazzini