Gluten-free, (almost) Raw, Vegan Holiday (or really anytime) Cookies!

I'm not an incredibly healthy eater.  I eat a large amount of vegetables, grains, lean protein, beans, fruit, etc. but I temper that healthiness with butter, bacon, red meat, cheese, sweets, and other delicious things that are tough to keep in moderation.  I usually don't seek out cookie recipes that don't include butter or flour but I bookmarked this recipe awhile ago for Lemon Icebox Cookies that sounded delicious and were not only vegan and gluten-free, but raw.  Raw food intrigues me, I understand how healthy and energized one could feel eating only fresh, raw foods - but I can't imagine eating that way exclusively. 

One of my favorite holiday cookies are Thumbprint Cookies with Jam which are buttery, shortbread type cookies rolled in chopped nuts with a bit of jam on top.  So good.

I imagined that the lemon icebox raw cookies could be done in a similar way for a healthier version of one my holiday favorites which would also work well for gluten-free or vegan guests.  I tried this out yesterday with spectacular results.

These cookies are chewy, light, and tangy from the lemon and rich from the cashews and sweet jam filling.  Note: using jam makes the cookies not technically raw as jam is cooked, but still a healthy addition to your holiday cookie rotation.

Recipe:

Lemon Cashew Thumbprint Cookies
*Adapted from Lemon Icebox Cookie recipe

• 2 Cups Raw Cashews (if you can find cashew pieces, it is often times cheaper than buying whole cashews since you are going to grind them up in the food processor anyways)
• Additional handful of cashews to chop for rolling cookies in
• 1/4 cup Agave Syrup
• 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 1/2 Tablespoons lemon zest
• 1/2 Teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 Teaspoon sea salt

Grind the 2 cups of cashews in a food processor to a fine grind, add in rest of ingredients, process another minute or so until well blended into a sticky dough texture.

Wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper and refrigerate several hours, or overnight

Chop addition cashews to a rough chop, suitable for coating the cookies

Remove chilled dough, break off pieces and roll into small round balls, then roll in chopped cashews to coat and make less sticky.  Press down on a baking sheet into a cookie shape, and make indentation on top of cookie with your thumb or the back of a small spoon.  

Spoon a small amount of jam, preserve, or fruit spread into the indent.  I used a lemon-raspberry marmalade which was fantastic, but you could use any type of fruit filling - strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, fig, lemon curd, etc.  

Keep finished cookies refrigerated - Enjoy!