These simple and delicious cookies are the perfect holiday treat!

Have you ever had those Danish-style butter cookies that come assorted in a tin can? Oh man, they used to be my favorite holiday treat as a young girl.

This holiday season, I wanted to recreate those memories over a delicious vegan cookie…and perhaps some tea! These cookies have a similar texture of those favorite Danish cookies I once liked, only better flavor.

Cardamom is a spice I started cooking with just recently. I didn’t quite know how to use it or what to cook with it because I really wasn’t familiar with its taste or aroma. I've been experimenting with it more and more and now add it to flavor dishes any chance I get. Lately, I’ve been adding it to many dishes such as, oatmeal, curries, and cookies - such as these!

Cardamom is an aromatic spice that is native to southeast India. It has a very distinct aroma and it’s a versatile spice as it can be added to any sweet or savory dish. It actually pairs perfectly with coconut (to my discovery), which makes it a good addition to these thumbprint cookies.

Also, I recently started experimenting with millet flour - which I've included in this recipe. I had heard about it but never really saw it at my grocery store until I visited my local co-op. Millet is actually a seed-like grain that offers many good benefits. It offers a unique blend of vitamins and minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc, and B-Vitamins. Because I wanted my cookies to have some sort of nutritional value, I used a little amount of millet flour and also for color. Though these cookies are not 100% gluten-free, millet flour is a great alternative for gluten conscious consumers.

Have you experimented with millet flour or cardamom in your kitchen? Let me know in the comments below!

Vegan Cardamom Thumbprint Cookies

Serves: Makes about 13 - 15 cookies
Total Time: 28 – 36 minutes (prep + baking time)

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

• 3 tablespoons maple syrup

• ½ teaspoon coconut extract

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• ¼ cup millet flour (or all purpose)

• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

• ½ teaspoon jam (per cookie)

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: coconut oil, maple syrup and coconut extract.

2. Add the wet ingredients: all-purpose flour, millet flour (or all purpose), and cardamom and combine well (the dough will be a little dry but this is okay). Let dough rest uncovered for 10 – 15 minutes in the refrigerator.

3. Preheat oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

4. Shape dough into small balls, about 1 tablespoon each, and then make a small indentation with your thumb or index finger in each cookie (it’s okay if they’re not perfect!).

5. Fill each cookie with ¼ - ½ teaspoon of your favorite jam (mine was strawberry rhubarb jam).

6. Bake in oven for about 10 – 13 minutes or until lightly golden brown.