• 1 cup tightly-packed, blanched almond flour
• ½ cup brown rice flour
• ½ cup coconut sugar or other minimally-processed, granulated sweetener
• ¼ cup non-alkalized cocoa powder
• 2 TBS tapioca flour
• ½ tsp baking soda

wet:

• 1 TBS flax meal + 5 TBS water
• ¼ cup raw almond butter
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp natural cherry flavoring (optional)

~ for the cherries

• 16 frozen, black cherries
• 2 TBS kirsch or brandy (optional/replace with water or cherry juice if not using)
• 1 tsp natural cherry flavoring (optional but really adds that cherry flavor and since we’re not using maraschino cherries with all that fake flavor, it really helps out with this recipe)
• 2 tsp tapioca flour dissolved in 2 TBS water
• 1 TBS liquid sweetener such as date syrup, agave or coconut nectar

topping:

• ½ cup melted, vegan chocolate chips

cooling and before their chocolate drizzle…

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
3. Mix the flax meal with the water and set aside.
4. Place all the dry cookie ingredients in a food processor and pulse to combine.
5. Add the wet cookie ingredients, including the flax mixture, and pulse until you have a dough consistency and it is well mixed. It should come together in a ball.
6. Using a heaping 2 TBS scoop, portion out the dough onto the cookie sheet. Flatten each cookie a bit and make an indentation in the center, as you would a thumbprint cookie.
7. Bake for 20 minutes.
8. While the cookies are baking, work on your cherry filling: Place the frozen cherries and all the other cherry ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer until the liquid becomes gooey (which it will from the tapioca). Set aside but keep warm. NOTE: If you want an authentic cherry cordial result, with spirits intact, add a the liquor after the mixture has cooled a bit.
9. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, use a ½ tsp measuring spoon to push the centers back down (they will have risen a bit while baking), making room for the cherries. 
10. Add one cherry and some of the gooey sauce to the center of each cookie.
11. Let cool and top with a drizzle of melted vegan chocolate (I used vegan chocolate chips and melted them in a double boiler).

Healthy trails and a happy and prosperous New Year to you!