John Cage Cookies

John Cage Cookies Recipe

John Cage would whip up these surprisingly delicious, macrobiotic cookies for friends, and even enjoyed a few for breakfast now and then. Make a batch before conducting chance operations, for a special occasion, or for anytime when a good cookie might just be what you need.

1 cup whole wheat flour (or gluten-free flour of your choice, such as brown rice flour, though you may need to increase the amount just a bit)

1 cup ground oats*

1 cup almond flour*

1 tbsp. cinnamon

Pinch of salt

½ cup maple syrup

½ cup nut oil (almond or walnut or hazelnut)

1 tbsp. vanilla (optional)

1 c. unsweetened jam or fruit spread

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix the dry ingredients. Add the maple syrup and nut oil. Roll into balls of around an 1” and place then on a lightly greased cookie sheet or onto parchment paper. Press the center of each with your thumb and place a teaspoon or so of unsweetened jam into the thumbprint of each. Bake for 15–20 minutes, reversing the cookie pan once during baking for even distribution of heat. The cookies should be browned on the edges, but not throughout. If there are any leftovers, they keep nicely in the fridge.

*You can likewise use whole almonds and rolled oats and blitz them together in a food processor to make the almond flour and ground oats.