Sunflower Cookies

An adaptation of the recipe “Not Peanut Butter Cookies” from Raw Food Made Easy For 1 or 2 People on page 137. I decided to go with sunflower, I was encouraged by Walker’s pediatrician to not introduce peanut butter before 2 years of age and personally while I like cashew and almond butters, they are quite strongly flavored – sometimes too strong for little ones. Sunflower butter is very mellow and the kids love it. And it is velvety smooth, no hard bits.

While it isn’t a cookie like a cookie is expected to be, it is easy to make and quite delicious though!

Sunflower “Cookies”

Ingredients:

• ½ cup natural sunflower butter (no sugar added)
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup
• ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
• ½ cup sunflower seeds. finely chopped (raw or toasted, depending on personal preference)

Directions:

In a food processor add the butter, maple syrup and vanilla and process until becomes thick. You will need to scrape the bowl once or twice during this.

Using a 1 Tablespoon size disher make 9 balls and drop onto a half baking sheet. Let chill in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes. Take out and press into a cookie shaped disc between your hands quickly. Take a clean paper towel and blot off any sunflower oil (there will be some).

Add the chopped seeds to a small bowl and press the cookies one at a time into them, flipping over each one a couple of times. Put on a plate and stash in the refrigerator till eating time.

~Sarah