Strawberry-Fig Thumbprint Cookies

For the Jam:

1 pint fresh strawberries
8 fresh figs

1 teaspoon Super Sweet Blend or 2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons water
zest and juice of 1 lemon
dash of salt
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon fig balsamic vinegar (plain balsamic vinegar works too)

De-stem and quarter both the strawberries and the figs. Place the fruit in a medium pot on medium heat on the stove. Add the water, Super sweet, lemon zest and juice, and dash of salt. Stir, bring to a high simmer, then cover and simmer on low until the fruit breaks down into a chunky jam. Use a wooden spoon or whisk to mash the fruit as it softens. It will cook down to half its volume, and it’s natural pectins and sugars will do the thickening.

Once it’s jam like, remove the pot from the heat and stir in the butter and vinegar. Set aside to cool, uncovered. It will continue to thicken as it cools.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prep the cookies.

For the Cookies:

1 cup Pamela’s Bread Mix

1 cup blanched, finely ground almond flour
1.5 cups walnuts, toasted*
1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup avocado or grapeseed oil
3 tablespoons Lakanto or 1 tablespoon Super Sweet Blend
1/4 teaspoon himalayan salt
1 tablespoon vanilla

*To toast the walnuts, spread them out on a cookie sheet and bake them at 250 degrees until the minute they become fragrant. If they smell toasty and nutty and delicious, they’re done. Alternatively, throw them in a DRY skillet on the stove top and let them toast on medium low until fragrant and slightly browned.

Throw your toasted walnuts in a food processor and pulse to make a flour. Don’t over-process or you’ll have walnut butter. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until a dough comes together. Use a 1-inch cookie scoop to scoop the dough onto parchment-papered cookie sheets (or alternatively, with your hands roll the dough into 1-inch balls). With your thumb, press a small well into each cookie; the edges will expand and crack – this is right and good.

To Assemble:

Spoon a 1/4-1/2 teaspoon (whatever fits!) of jam into each cookie well and bake until the cookies are fragrant and slightly golden. Let the cookies cool on the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack so they don’t sweat. Perfect to serve for afternoon tea, a wedding shower, house guests, or a potluck brunch.

Yields: 20-24