Triple Chocolate-almond Explosion Cookies

Total Time: 32 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 12 mins

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or 1 cup unbleached flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 5 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted
• 3 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/4 cup canola oil (or other light-tasting oil)
• 2 -3 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips or 2 -3 tablespoons dark chocolate bars, broken into chunks

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350. stir together the first first 8 dry ingredients, reserving 2 tbsp of the almond slivers (be sure to sift the cocoa and baking powder/soda!).
• 2 in a separate bowl, combine the maple syrup, extracts and oil.
• 3 add the wet mixture to the dry, and stir just until well combined (don't overmix!)
• 4 spoon the batter onto a nonstick or parchment-lined sheet. for each mound, take a few chocolate chips and a few of the remaining almond slivers and press into the top of each cookie, flattening slightly.
• 5 bake for 10-12 minutes, or just until gloden around the edges (any longer may let them dry out). let cool for 1 minute on the sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.