Blogging friends are the best. When I went on the POM Harvest Tour, I met Heather of Heather Eats Almond Butter. Actually, she was the first person I spoke to when I was there.
She's very, very nice, smart, and inspirational. I've been reading her blog since I got back, and I'm enjoying it. I'm learning more about nutrition and different food products I've never heard of before. She's also really into yoga, (along with Veggiegirl) so I tried that the other day. I used a yoga DVD that somebody gave me a few years ago and I didn't use. Yoga ia hard. It's difficult, and I didn't realize how much. I think you have to be a certain kind of person to get into it. Or maybe a certain body type. I'm more of a cardio-aerobics kind of gal. Preferably from the 80's.
Anyway, she makes these cookies called "Maple Nut Oaties", and when I first read about them, I wanted to try them. So Heather generously offered to send me some. And I was like, "Noooo you don't have to do that!" But secretly I wanted the cookies. Then she insisted, and I happily accepted her offer.
So a couple of days later, a box arrived from Miss Heather, and she did indeed send me the cookies, but she also sent me sunflower seed and almond butter from Trader Joe's! I've never had either, so I was eager to try them both. Thank you SO much, Heather! Your cookies are delicious and I want to eat them in a bowl of milk like cereal. Maple Nut Oaties! Is that not a great title for a cereal?
Guess what? I love almond butter too, now. It's hard not to put it on/in everything. I'm kind of obsessed with it, which isn't good because the only almond butter we have here is $7 a jar, and I'm too poor for those kinds of shenanigans. And we don't have a Trader Joes, which angers me. But I'm going off topic here, so somebody keep me on track.
I used the almond butter in a healthy cookie recipe. Guess what? It's vegan! Yaaay! This is my first vegan recipe I've created. See, it makes sense because you don't need eggs for shortbread, and the almond butter replaces the regular butter.
I flavored the shortbread with a seasonal fall fruit I wanted to use - figs. No, not fresh figs, because that would add too much moisture, and also because dammit if we don't have fresh figs here, either. Plennnnty of sausage, jowl and ham hocks though. Because you know how much I love to cook a big pot of white beans with jowl in it. Heh, heh, heh. Mmmm.
I thought orange and clove would go nicely with the figs and almond butter, so that's in there too. These are delicious. They taste like those Nature Valley granola bars.
Printable Recipe
1 cup old fashioned oats + 1/4 cup
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
2/3 cup finely chopped dried figs
1/3 cup almond butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a cookie sheet with cooking spray.
Process 1 cup oats in a food processor until finely ground; add to medium mixing bowl. To bowl, add additional 1/4 cup oats, flour, salt and clove, and stir until combined; stir in figs until combined.
In a large bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together almond butter and brown sugar until creamy, about 1 minute; beat in orange juice and vanilla until combined. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually beat in flour mixture until combined.
Shape dough into a ball and roll (using a rolling pin) into an 11x8-inch rectangle, on a lightly floured surface, about 1/4-inch thick. Trim off raggedy ends, then cut rectangle into rows 5x5. Transfer squares to cookie sheet and lightly press almonds into them. Bake 25-30 minutes or until light golden brown and crisp. Cool 2 minutes on pan before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.
Makes 25 shortbread
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