Here’s a simple Christmas cookie that I created last week. Made with almond flour, almond meal, rolled oats, granulated sugar cane and unsweetened apple sauce, these little gems are delicious.

Over the holidays, if you are trying to find a sweet treat that will please each person’s diet or taste, whether vegan, non-vegan, low sugar, paleo, gluten-free, nut, grain or dairy-free, don’t panic. These easy-to-make cookies can please the most demanding person.

Not overly sweet and made with raw ingredients, they can even be enjoyed at breakfast or brunch with fruit salad.

You may be wondering why I used almond flour and almond meal to make the dough. I combined these two types of almond preparations because they compliment each other and give the cookies a well-rounded texture.

Almond flour and almond meal are not made the same way. If you buy these products in Switzerland or France, on the package it will say: “Amandes claires or Amandes émondées moulues” for the almond flour. For the almond meal it will say: “Amandes moulues“.

Almond flour is finer than almond meal and is made from blanched almonds. Almond meal is more coarsely ground because it is made from brown almonds that have retained their skin. Almond flour is used for finer textured cakes and breads whereas almond meal is used for making wholesome muffins and cookies.

Here’s the difference below: Almond flour (to your left) and almond meal (to your right).

Soft and sweet on the inside and delicately crisp on the outside, from top to bottom, the texture and flavour in these cookies are perfectly balanced. They also hold beautifully. The recipe is below.

Enjoy and have a Merry Christmas! 🙂

Cinnamon almond cookies

Oven: 180 C° / 350°F

Makes 16 – 18 cookies

1 cookie sheet lined with parchment

Ingredients

• 1 cup almond flour (amandes claires /émondées moulues)
• ½ cup almond meal (amandes moulues)
• ½ cup rolled oats, no sugar or salt added
• ¼ cup granulated sugar cane (preferably Mascobado)
• 1 teaspoon (tsp) cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1/3 cup 100% apple sauce (a smooth kind), no sugar added and warmed in microwave (I use 1 X 100 gr container of Andros Sans Sucres Ajoutés)

For the cinnamon and sugar coating, mix together in a small bowl:

• 1 tablespoon white granulated sugar
• ½ tsp cinnamon

Procedure

In a food processor, process for 30 seconds the almond flour, almond meal, rolled oats and sugar cane until fine and the oats blend in and look like flour. Transfer into a medium-size bowl (see below). Add the cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Mix with a wooden spoon.

Heat up the apple sauce in the microwave (it should be warm and not hot) and add to the almond/oat mixture. Stir and work through with a wooden spoon until combined. Form a big ball (see below) and wrap the dough with parchment or wax paper. Chill for 30 minutes in fridge.

Shape into balls. I use about ¾ of a tablespoon of dough per ball and roll each one between the palms of my hands. Place balls on parchment-lined cookie sheet. Roll each ball into the cinnamon and sugar mixture to coat and put back on sheet. With a fork, gently press the cookies down to form about ½ inch (1.5 cm) thick rounds.

Bake in preheated oven on middle rack for 8 to 10 minutes (not more) until the bottoms are light golden brown and the centre tops are soft. The bottoms should not burn, so check them.

Remove the sheet and let stand until the cookies are slightly firm, about 2 minutes. Transfer immediately to a rack to cool.

Store cookies in a sealed container. They keep for about one week at room temperature .