~ Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies ~
This is no ordinary chocolate chip cookie. It has all of the delectable aspects of a traditional tollhouse-style cookie, but then ups the ante with the addition of almond butter and sea salt. Almond butter does wondrous things to the dough. It’s not as pronounced in flavor as peanut butter which can overwhelm a cookie. Almond butter is mellower with notes of deeply roasted nuts, adding a subtle, golden background to the dough. A dusting of sea salt is an extra flourish – optional but highly recommended. A little salt makes everything taste better, even sweets – especially when chocolate is involved.
(Please accept my apologies if this messes with your New Year’s diet resolutions…)
Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 36 cookies
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup unsalted creamy almond butter (not raw)
1 cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips
Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl; set aside. Cream the butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla. Mix well. Mix in the almond butter until smooth. Add the flour and mix to combine, then stir in the chocolate. Refrigerate the batter for at least one hour. (Batter may be refrigerated for up to 24 hours – if you can wait that long).
Heat oven to 350 F. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough on baking sheets lined with parchment. Bake until light golden, about 14 minutes.
Optional: Sprinkle a few flakes of sea salt on the cookies before baking.