Strawberry Jelly Thumb-Print Crunchies

By MarielC

These cookies make a great substitute for fried doughnuts, also know as sufganiyah, a traditional Hanukkah treat. They are equally as festive and scrumptious, with a dollop of jam in the center. Children will love helping to make these because they are fun to mold and they are so healthy you will feel good about letting your children enjoy them. They are loaded with fiber from the luscious oats, omega-3 fatty acids from the flax seeds and coconut oil, and protein from the almond flour. You can also substitute oat flour if your guests or family members have nut allergies.

Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons coconut oil or softened butter
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons almond milk
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup almond flour or oat flour
• 1 1/4 cups oat flour (you can make your own oat flour by blending oats in a blender)
• 1 teaspoon flax seeds (optional)
• Pinch of sea salt
• Strawberry jam or preserves
• Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine the oil, egg, vanilla, almond milk and maple syrup and mix well. In a separate bowl, mix together the flours, flax seeds and salt. Then combine the ingredients from both bowls and mix together with your hands until it forms a sticky dough. If the dough feels a touch dry, you can add a splash of water to thin it. And if it feels a bit wet, you can add a touch more almond flour.

3. Roll the dough into balls with your hands; I like mine to be 1 1/2 to 2 inches across. Place them on a lightly greased cookie sheet, flatten them slightly with your palm, and push a thumbprint into each ball. Add a dollop of jam or preserves into the thumbprint.

4. Bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly brown on the bottom. Let cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar before eating.