Gluten-free Teff Almond Butter Cookies

Cora's doctor recommended that we put her on a gluten-free diet. Because celiac disease is diagnosed through unusually high levels of IgA, her absence of IgA makes it impossible to know if her body can process gluten. Added to the fact that I am allergic to wheat, Cora's tests also showed that she's slightly anemic, which can be another potential sign of food sensitivities. Gluten intolerance could interrupt her body's ability to absorb nutrients. She's been on a totally gluten-free diet for over a week. Combined with daily doses of multivitamins and probiotics, we've also added more dairy to her diet. It seems to be agreeing with her very well.

I wanted to share a nutritious, easy recipe with you, adapted from Leslie Cerier's teff peanut butter cookie recipe (the Organic Gourmet). Leslie's original recipe can also be found on the back of Bob's Red Mill whole grain teff flour, which is in stock at Whole Foods and many other natural foods stores. Try not to choke too much when you see the price tag of nearly $9 for a pound of flour. With 13% iron, 4 grams protein, and 4 grams fiber in a 1/4-cup serving, teff flour offers a unique flavor with hints of cocoa.

I modified Leslie's recipe to include olive oil and dark molasses. Molasses is high in iron and B vitamins, something I am working to sneak into Cora's diet whenever possible. The combination of a super nutritious flour with high-iron, high-calcium, high-flavor almond butter means that you don't have to be gluten-free to appreciate these hardy cookies.

Cora enjoyed helping me make these, making it an activity that now ranks pretty high on my list of "fun things to do with a toddler." She measured and stirred and incorporated the wet and dry ingredients. Her favorite part was making the cookie balls. We made these on the kitchen floor, and she crouched over the cookie sheet with greasy hands, forming funny shapes before sneaking a few bites and reluctantly pressing the dough haphazardly onto the cookie sheet.

TEFF ALMOND BUTTER COOKIES
Makes about 24 cookies

1-1/2 cups teff flour
1/2 tsp. ground sea salt
1/2 cup molasses filled nearly to the top, then topped off with a drizzle of maple syrup
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup smooth almond butter

Preheat oven to 350. Combine dry ingredients and set aside. In a food processor, blend syrup, oil, vanilla, and almond butter. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and blend well. Shape dough into walnut size balls. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and flatted gently with your fingers, shaping the cookie edges to form an even circle. Bake about 13-15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Keeps up to a week in a sealed container. Once cooled, the cookies are delicious dipped in yogurt or topped with a layer of vanilla ice cream or non-dairy frozen topping.