MAKES 24 COOKIES.
TIME: 40 MINUTES.
You could call these Koala Noses because that"s what they look like. Using demerara sugar adds a slight brown-sugar taste and a little crunch because the crystals are bigger than normal sugar, but you can use turbinado sugar (as available in supermarkets as Sugar in the Raw) or even regular old granulated if that"s what you have; just cut back on it by two tablespoons or so. These cookies are crispy outside, chewy inside, and the anise pairs beautifully with the fruity figs. Plus, they will have your kitchen smelling like an Italian bakery.
cup soy milk
2 teaspoons ground flaxseed, or 1 teaspoons whole flaxseeds
1 cups demerara sugar
cup canola oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
teaspoon anise extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
teaspoon salt
cup finely chopped almonds (start with slivers or sliced to make your life easier)
12 dried black mission figs, rough stem removed, cut in half lengthwise
PREHEAT THE oven to 350F. Lightly grease two baking sheets.
If using preground flaxseeds, place in a mixing bowl and beat vigorously with the soy milk. If using whole flaxseeds, grind them up in a blender and then add the soy milk. Blend until frothy. Add to the mixing bowl and proceed with the recipe.
Add the sugar and oil to the mixing bowl and beat until emulsified. Mix in the vanilla.
Add about 1 cup of the flour along with the baking powder and salt. Mix well. Add the remaining flour and mix. Fold in the chopped almonds. At this point a hand blender might not work, so use a wooden spoon or your hands.
Loosely roll the dough into golf ball-size b.a.l.l.s, then flatten them with your hands into 2-inch-diameter cookies. Place on a cookie sheet and gently but firmly smush a fig half, cut side down, into the center of each cookie.
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes. The fig should be soft and the cookies should be golden brown on the bottom. The tops don"t brown much.
Remove from the oven and let sit on the sheets for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
TERRY"S FAVORITE ALMOND COOKIE
MAKES 24 COOKIES.
TIME: 35 MINUTES.
Terry says, "Calling this cookie "my favorite" makes it sound like I"ve been searching far and wide for the ultimate almond cookie. Which is sort of true; almonds usually find their way into my favorite desserts and snacks. These crisp cookies are inspired by the kind one might find in their local Chinatown; flat, crunchy, with a distinctive almond aroma but without the obvious texture of chopped almonds. They rely on the subtle presence of almond meal and almond extract to give them that special flavor."
This recipe makes large cookies (good forfor sandwiches). Make smaller cookies by using just 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie and reducing the baking time by 2 minutes.
2 cups all-purpose flour
cup almond meal or ground almonds
1 teaspoons baking soda
teaspoon salt
cup canola or peanut oil, or a mixture of the two
cup brown rice syrup
cup rice or soy milk
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoons almond extract
teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
cup sliced, blanched almonds
PREHEAT THE oven to 350F. Grease two large cookie sheets.
Sift together the flour, almond meal, baking soda, and salt, and set aside. In a large bowl, beat together the oil, brown rice syrup, rice milk, sugar, extracts, and sesame oil. Add the flour mixture and mix until a firm dough forms.
Roll the dough into b.a.l.l.s, using about 2 tablespoons of dough apiece. Press one side of each ball into the sliced almonds and place at least 2 inches apart, almond side up, on a cookie sheet. Flatten each ball to about an inch thick (a flat-bottomed 1-cup measuring cup works great for this). Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until slightly golden brown on edges.
Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from the sheets; the cookies will be very soft when first out of the oven but will firm up while cooling. Let cool on the cookie sheets for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
CHOCOLATE-CHOCOLATE CHIP-WALNUT COOKIES.
MAKES 36 COOKIES.
TIME: 30 MINUTES.