Tahini Cookies for Yoga Lovers

Makes 20-25 medium size pastries

2 cups (7 ounces or 200 g) ground almonds (also sometimes labeled almond meal; do not substitute almond flour)
1/2 teaspoon (2 g) fine sea salt
1 teaspoon (4 g) baking powder
Slightly generous 1/2 cup (7 ounces or 200 g) honey (or substitute maple syrup for vegan)
3/4 cup (7 ounces or 200 g) tahini (sometimes labeled sesame paste)
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons (22 to 30 ml) vanilla extract (yep, tablespoons)
1/4 cup sliced or roughly chopped almonds or pistachios (raw or roasted)

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) if you prefer chewier, softer cookies or 375º F (191º C) if you prefer slightly crisper, more well-done cookies. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the ground almonds, salt, and baking powder.

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, whisk together the honey, tahini, and vanilla until everything is completely combined and the mixture has begun to thin a little, 4 to 6 minutes.

Pour the contents of the saucepan into the dry ingredients in the bowl and stir with a spoon or mix with your hands until everything is combined and a dough forms. The dough should come together easily and feel quite warm and soft and squishy. Refrigerate the mixture for 10 minutes so that it firms slightly.

Pinch off about 1 1/2 tablespoons of cookie dough and roll it into a 1-inch (2.5-cm) ball. Place it on a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the blobs of dough about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. If a flatter and somewhat crisper cookie is desired, use the tines of a fork to gently flatten the dough. Sprinkle with sliced or chopped almonds or pistachios, gently pressing the nuts into the dough so the don’t fall off during baking.

Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges. The cookies will puff a little during baking but will flatten somewhat during cooling. Watch carefully so that the bottoms don’t overbrown. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheets on wire racks. If you can, store the cookies in an airtight container.

Recipe comes from "The Yoga Kitchen: Over 100 Vegetarian Recipes to Energize the Body, Balance the Mind & Make for a Happier You" by Kimberly Parsons  (Author), Lisa Cohen (Photographer) (Leites Culinaria)