Chocolate Chip Almond Flour Cookies

Flour has been in short supply in our area and we ran out quickly into this period of isolation and reduced shopping trips. My mom found a huge bag of almond flour at a great price recently so I figured now is the time to try it out for something other than macarons! So far I’ve made a small loaf of almond bread and these cookies, which came out wonderfully! We love almonds anyway, and the texture of these cookies is surprisingly soft and fluffy. The almond extra gives an extra boost of almond flavor and I think for a variation in the future, we’ll add shredded coconut. The coconut should pair really well with the almond flavor!

I know that many people use almond flour as a replacement due to gluten allergies, so I added favorite substitutes for other common allergens in this recipe. They’ll also work well to create a vegan version! Earth Balance also makes a soy-free version of their non-dairy butter, if you’re avoiding soy products.

• King Arthur Flour has a recipe for a flax-based egg replacer.
• Bigger Bolder Baking has a list of seven egg replacement options that include flax, banana, yogurt (dairy and dairy-free), tofu, and more.
• Or, you can try aquafaba, made from chickpea water!

I made this most recent batch early this past Saturday morning and was able to sit and read for a bit – one of many I’m reading at the moment is The Strange Case of William Mumler, Spirit Photographer, which is an 1860s sort of true crime story of the trial of William Mumler, who claimed to be able to photograph the spirits of the dead. Mumler was charged with fraud even though no one could figure out at the time how he produced his ghostly images. This is timely for me as I recently shot my first tintypes and that has made for an interesting tangible connection to the figures in the book. I’ll definitely write more about those soon – it has been a huge learning process but I’m already in love with it and thinking of prints on glass and all sorts of other potentials and adjacent processes to try…

The little coffee table that you see in my photos below was recently made by my husband. He made it from live edge cherry wood and Stone Coat countertop resin and hairpin style legs. I’m in love with the organic shape of the tabletop and the beautiful woodgrain! As I type this, John is looking at supplies for building a new dining room table and I’m so excited about that…