Almond Butter Cookies with Dark Chocolate Buds

There is a little story behind these cookies. A couple of months ago, I noticed that President's Choice had a new Almond Butter product. It was a natural Almond Butter with no sugar added. I bought some thinking that if the kids would eat it in place of peanut butter, it would so healthy. Almonds are loaded with protein, fibre, calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin E and other good stuff. Anyway, like many of my well laid plans, it didn't work out. The kids had other ideas and neither one of them would even TASTE the almond butter, that is, until I baked these cookies! Ha, take that! Score: Mom 1 - Kids 0.... but wait they did get me to make these scrumptious cookies... Mom 0 - Kids 3000.

This recipe is my own concoction, I figured that any peanut butter cookie recipe would work just as well with the Almond Butter. The dark chocolate buds were an afterthought, because I had some I wanted to use up, but they were perfect! I was going to take these to work, but no one would let me leave the house with them.

Almond Butter Cookies with Dark Chocolate Buds

1/2 cup almond butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 package of dark chocolate buds

1. With a whisk, beat together the almond butter and butter.

2. Beat in the sugar and brown sugar and then the egg.

3. In another bowl sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients a little at a time to the almond butter mixture. Stirring until it is all incorporated.

4. Roll dough into 1" balls. Place on parchment lined cookie sheet and press down on each with a fork (spray a little cooking spray on the fork so it doesn't stick).

5. Top each cookie with a chocolate bud. If there are any chocolate buds leftover, eat them before anybody else notices.

6. Bake cookies for 15 minutes at 300F. If you prefer a crispier cookie bake for 9 minutes at 375F.