Almond Cherry Bites

By shelliec

Per cookie: 101 calories; 4 g fat ( 1 g sat , 2 g mono ); 0 mg cholesterol; 15 g carbohydrates; 2 g protein; 1 g fiber; 4 mg sodium; 15 mg potassium.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup whole almonds
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup coarsely chopped dried cherries
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 large egg white
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 tablespoons chocolate chips or finely chopped dark and/or white chocolate, for decoration (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Grind almonds and sugar in a food processor to desired texture: a coarser texture will give you small almond pieces in the cookie; a fine grind will give great almond flavor without any crunch from the almonds. (Be careful to not overgrind: you will get almond paste.) Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add cherries and flour; mix to combine.
Add oil, egg white and vanilla and almond extracts; mix with a wooden spoon until well incorporated.
Shape the dough into walnut-size balls with your hands or a small cookie scoop (about 1 rounded tablespoon each) and place 1 1/2 inches apart on a large, ungreased baking sheet.
Bake until the bottoms are golden (the top will stay white), 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Melt chocolate (see Tip) and drizzle or pipe onto each cooled cookie, if desired. Let stand until the chocolate sets.