• Add the walnut pieces with the brown sugar and a pinch of salt to the bowl of a food processor. Using the Pulse button process the nuts until a small chop is achieved (you don’t want walnut dust but also not large pieces, just a nice coarse texture)
  3/4 cups raw walnut pieces, 2 Tbsp light brown sugar, 1 pinch sea salt
• Add the jam and lemon zest and pulse a few more times until incorporated. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
  2 Tbsp apricot jam, Zest from 1 lemon

The Cookie Dough

• Note: You can make the dough using a hand held mixer or a stand mixer, whichever you prefer.
• Using the whisk attachment beat the soft butter on medium speed until creamy (45 seconds or so).
  12 Tbsp salted vegan butter
• Add sugar and beat until incorporated then add the vanilla and plant milk.
  1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1 Tbsp vanilla extract, 1 Tbsp cashew milk
• Turn the speed to low and start adding in the flour in 1/2 cup increments. Mix just until the dough comes together and scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed. The dough will look shaggy which is great!
  2 cups all purpose flour
• Preheat oven to 350"F and prepare a large rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Using a tablespoon (measuring spoon) scoop out some dough and roll it into about ball in the palm of your hands. Place the dough balls an inch apart from each other on the baking tray. Repeat will all the dough. You should get 28 cookies.
• Press in the center of each dough ball with your thumb to make an indentation. Careful not to go all the way through the bottom of the cookie, you’ll want a nice little crater for the filling to sit in. (There will be cracks around the edges of the dough now and that’s perfectly fine, leave them be)
• Use a teaspoon (measuring spoon) to scoop the walnut filling and place it inside each cookie center perfectly nestled in the crater you just created. If you measure correctly there will be the perfect amount of filling for all 28 cookies (don’t ask how I measured so perfectly ;-)
• Bake the cookies in the preheated 350"F oven for 13 to 15 minutes until you notice a light golden hew forming at the edges which means the bottoms should be golden. I prefer to bake mine for exactly 15 minutes because I love a crispy bottom on my cookies).
• Remove cookies from oven and allow them to cool on the tray for 10 minutes.
• OPTIONAL. Prepare a small bowl with powdered sugar and give each cookie a little twist in it, this way you’ll get a nice coverage on the bottom and sides while still showing the walnut filling. Of course you are free to just roll them around for full coverage if desired.