100000 Oatmeal Almond Thumbprint Cookies

Yes, the title is a play: 100000 = 32 (in binary). No, it wasn’t intentional, but … I did notice the number & how it was only a single bit. Computer Science coming to get you when you least care.

Today is a day to relax, having put in an inordinate amount of time working this past week. So, Oatmeal Almond Thumbprint Cookies were the cookie of choice. I adapted this recipe by 1) subtracting the shortening, 2) cutting the total fat down to 3/4 a cup, 3) substituting 1C ground almonds instead of the walnuts, 4) adding in some allspice, nutmeg, cloves, and vanilla extract, and 5) ditching the baking soda in favor of baking powder (who likes bitterness in their cookies?).

Oatmeal Almond Thumbprint Cookies:

• 3/4 cup butter (or margarine)
• 1.75 cups demerara sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups flour
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp freshly-microplaned cinnamon
• 6 allspice berries
• 4 cloves
• 10 fennel seeds
• 1/8 of a nutmeg, microplaned
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 cups oats
• 1 cup ground almonds
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Raspberry jam (as much as you need)

1. Cream butter and sugar
2. Add eggs & cream until completely combined
3. Mix flour, spices, water, extracts into creamed ingredients
4. Mix in oats & ground almonds
5. Shape into 1 Tbsp spheres
6. Depress a place in the center of each cookie for the jam (I used a 1 tsp measuring spoon, dipped into water)
7. Dollop in some raspberry jam
8. Bake at 400°F / 205°C for 10-12 minutes
9. Cool on wire rack

These are really more almond cookies than oatmeal cookies, but are quite tasty. Just make sure not to let them drip over the edge of your baking sheet, or you’ll be screaming.