Almond Butter Cookies

A new twist on the traditional peanut butter cookies with the Hershey kisses.

Dec 8, 2006

Almond butter lends a mild, yet flavorful twist to the traditional peanut butter blossoms.

Almonds are a wonderful source of protein, fiber, Vitamin E, calcium, and potassium. In this recipe, you get to enjoy all those health benefits, plus I've reduced the fat and increased the fiber content.

You can find white whole wheat flour in your neighborhood supermarket. It has the same nutritional content as regular whole wheat flour, yet it bakes up more tender.

Almond Butter Cookies with Hershey Kisses

6 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. Neufchatel cheese (or reduced fat cream cheese)
1/2 cup almond butter
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups white whole wheat flour
48 dark chocolate Hershey kisses

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With an electric mixer, beat butter, Neufchatel and almond butter until creamy. Add sugars and baking soda. Add egg and vanilla. Gradually add flour until a soft dough is formed.

Form dough into 1 inch balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes or until just firm. Remove cookie sheets from oven and immediately place one Hershey kiss in the center of each cookie.

Makes 48 cookies.

Per cookie: 83 calories, 4 g fat, 9 mg cholesterol, 37 mg sodium, 8 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 1 g protein, 1% Vitamin A, 0% Vitamin C, 1% calcium, 3% iron