Chocolate Almond Thumbprint Cookies with Raspberry Jam

Ingredients

• 1 Stick Earth Balance Butter Softenend (1/2 cup or 8 TBS)
• 3/4 cup Sugar
• 1/3 cup Cocoa Powder
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer + 1 TBS Water (mixed together)
• 1/4 teaspoon Xanthan Gum
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 3/4 cup Sweet Rice Flour
• 1/2 cup Arrowroot Flour
• Finely Chopped Almonds (try Pulverizing in a food processor)

Directions

These gorgeous cookies came straight from my mothers recipes collection. I grew up on these. and I loved them. every year. The only difference was that her version did not contain Chocolate and- of course this is their first Christmas   Gluten/Dairy and Egg Free! (and Soy free if you use the Earth Balance Soy Free variation of butter)  I would recommend doubling the recipe- they are good- if I say so myself.  You Can freeze these cookies for several months.. how great is that?

I hope they bring as much holiday happiness as they always have for my family to yours. Cheers to the holiday Season!

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. In the Bowl of a stand mixer (or just an old fashioned large bowl) Combine the Softened Butter, Sugar and Cocoa Powder, Salt and Vanilla
3. Combine the Ener-g Egg replacer and the Water and combine it in with butter/sugar mixture.
4. Mix in the  Sweet Rice, Arrowroot Flour and Xanthan Gum.
5. Scoop out TBS of Cookie dough and roll each into a ball- roll the ball in the finely chopped almonds. Place on a cookie sheet and press into each cookie with your thumb. Fill each indentation with roughly 1 teaspoon of Jam.
6. Bake the cookies 20 minutes- pull out of the oven and allow them to cool.

Though I have not tried it myself- Im confident in saying that I think that you could Use Millet or Regular Rice Flour in the Place of the Sweet Rice Flour.

These *Extra* Gorgeous Photos were taken by the very talented-

Matt Calabrese.