Day 6: Cut-Out Cookies with Honey Almond Glaze

This recipe was one I published last year around Christmas time. It was such a hit I wanted to share it again for you during the 12 Days of Christmas Cookies Series. Plus, we all can use a good cut out cookie! 

Today is Day 6 of the 12 Days of Christmas Cookies Series. Day 6 means that we are halfway through this series. Can you believe it already??  These cut-outs are (almost) sugar-less sugar cookies. They are so sweet, a little nutty, and amazingly delicious for being so healthy! I don’t know if it’s all in my imagination because I don’t eat any refined sugar, but these seem as good as regular cut-out cookies. I’ll let you be the judge of that. I will say my taste testers thought I was tricking them with a grain and sugar filled cookie that I just said was healthy. But I promise that’s not what I did. I just followed this recipe. I will warn you, this recipe is more tedious than I usually make, but it is totally worth it! There is a variation below where they can be a slice and bake cookie instead of a cut out to make them quicker.

These cookies have a little twist on them: sesame seeds. Why yes, I did put sesame seeds in this recipe. I thought it would add a sweet creaminess to the cookies and bring in a unique flavor you can’t quite put your finger on.

These cut-out cookies also have a lot of flavorful almond extract, so you are going to taste almond throughout the cookies and glaze.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup Almond Flour

1/2 cup Sesame Seeds, ground

1 teaspoon Flax Seeds, ground

1 teaspoon Arrowroot Powder

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Stevita stevia

1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/4 cup Butter

2 Tablespoons Organic Raw Honey *

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1/2 teaspoon Almond Extract

Glaze

1 ounce coconut butter

2 Tablespoon Organic Raw Honey **

2 Tablespoon Butter

1 teaspoon almond extract

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
• To grind the sesame seeds and flax seeds use a coffee grinder. Make sure to grind them separately or else you can’t measure it out and it will get messy. I have a separate coffee grinder that I use use for grinding seeds, flax, and powdering xylitol. I grind the ingredient first and then measure it out to be accurate to the recipe. When you are done with the coffee grinder, wipe it out with a dry washcloth or paper towel until clean
• In a small bowl add the dry ingredients, almond flour through baking powder and stir with a spoon until lightly combined
• Whip butter and honey in a medium sized bowl with an electric hand mixer. Next, mix in the vanilla and almond extract. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter and make sure everything is completely mixed fully before you start to cut out the cookies
• Rip two pieces of parchment paper that is about the size of a cookie sheet. Place the dough on one of the pieces of parchment paper and place the other one on top of it. The reason I do this is because the dough is very sticky (no flour/ gluten) and you can’t roll it out well without the parchment paper
• Use a rolling pin and roll the dough (the rolling pin will be on top of the parchment paper) to 1/4 inch thickness. Remove the top piece of the parchment paper and set it aside
• Take your cookie cutter and stamp out designs in the dough. This is where these cookies differ from normal cut outs. You are going to remove the excess pieces of dough around the cut outs. Don’t try to use a cookie spatula to lift up the cookies, they will fall apart. Use the spatula to remove around the cookies
• Lift up the parchment paper with the cut-outs on it and place it on the cookie sheet. Bake the cookies for 6-8 minutes. They burn quickly (I learned that the hard way with 5 of mine) and when they come out of the oven, let them sit for 5 minutes before you remove them for the cookie sheet. They need time to sit and set up. Then use a cookie spatula and transfer to a cookie sheet.
• Repeat the process with rolling dough in between parchment paper until all of your cookie dough is made. You will have to rip off a new piece of parchment paper for each new batch of cookies to go in the oven
• While the cookies are cooling, make the Honey Almond Glaze. In a small saucepan on medium add the coconut butter, honey, and butter and whisk with a spatula until melted and mixed together. Remove from the heat and add the almond extract and whisk for 1 minute until combined. This is a glaze, not a frosting, so it will be fairly clear. Use a spoon or silicone brush to apply to the top of the cookies. Enjoy immediately!

* If you are not using honey, substitute for 1 teaspoon of Stevita stevia

** To substitute the honey in the glaze, increase the coconut butter or butter by 1 Tablespoon

If you want to use this dough and not make cut outs, it does make a very good refrigerator dough. Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Roll the dough into a log between a sheet of parchment paper. Put it in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes. Remove from the fridge and take off the parchment paper and cut off  slices from the log. Flatten slightly with your hand and bake for 7-10 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool, and add the glaze to the top. Below is a picture of the refrigerator cookie variation. They taste just as good, but are a little quicker and can be used year round.

 

Need More Christmas Cookie Recipes?

Day 1: Snowballs

Day 2: Date Pinwheels

Day 3: Coconut Cloud Cookies

Day 4: Pistachio Cranberry Icebox Cookies

Day 5: Soft Gingerbread Cookies

Day 6: Cut Out Cookies with Honey Almond Glaze

Day 7: Cashew Raspberry Thumbprints and Raspberry Refrigerator Chia Seed Jam

Day 8: Chai Tea Drop Cookies

Day 9: Walnut Acorn Cookies

Day 10: Spritz Cookies (Sugar-Free)

Day 11: Peanut Butter Coconut Cookies

Day 12: Nutella Stuffed Cookies and Homemade Nutella