Jam Dot Cookies

Description
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Ingredients

 * 1 cup walnuts (6 oz.)
 * 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
 * 1/2 cup rice flour
 * 1/4 tsp. salt
 * 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
 * 1/4 tsp. allspice
 * 1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg
 * 1/4 cup vegetable oil
 * 1/3 cup brown rice syrup
 * 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
 * 1 Tbs. vanilla extract
 * 3 Tbs. all-fruit preserves

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place walnuts on baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted, 8 to 10 minutes. Lightly brush 3 baking sheets with oil or line with parchment paper; set aside.

Meanwhile, put oats in food processor and pulse on/off 6 times. Add rice flour, salt, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg and process to blend. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula, pulse 2 more times to thoroughly combine. Transfer mixture to large bowl.

While walnuts are still warm, grind them to a paste in food processor. Add oil, rice syrup, maple syrup and vanilla and process until blended and smooth. Add mixture to dry ingredients and mix until just blended. (Dough will be sticky.)

Scoop out heaping teaspoonfuls of dough. Roll into balls and flatten to form cookies about 1 3/4 inches in diameter. (It’s helpful to dip hands and utensils in water when working with this sticky dough.) With your thumb, make a deep indentation in center of each cookie. Fill each indentation with about 1/4 teaspoon fruit preserves. Place cookies on prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake until bottoms are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool.