Ever since reading Cooking For Mr. Latte in college, Amanda Hesser has been an idol and food writing influence. (If you haven't read the book, check it out!)

Hesser was not only a food editor for the New York Times Magazine and a food reporter for The New York Times, but she has also co-founded "Food52," a website that brings everyday cooks together through food, by sharing their recipes. Food52 creates a community that talks about food, celebrates good food and recognizes food's profound influence on our lives.

Hesser and co-founder, Merrill Stubbs, could not have put it better:

"We believe that if you want to eat better, and you want to help change our food system, you need to cook. Maybe not all the time, but some. You don't have to eat local foods every day; you don't have to shop at the farmers market every week. But it's good to try. We're not extremists in a cult of purity, slow-foodness, or locavorosity. We're realists who believe in applying the best aspects of those food movements to our everyday lives."

"How you eat is how you live."

How. true.

Food52's website (and Instagram account) never fails to inspire that inner foodie in each of us with each beautiful photo.

So, long story short - when Food52 shared my recipe for this easy one-bowl flourless cookie, I was on top of the world. Because I like to imagine that I'm part of their community that - meal by meal - is changing the way we eat.

After the recipe was posted, I watched bakers from all over making these cookies and sharing them with their children, co-workers and friends.

See. In one simple recipe. And in one simple social media post. We can inspire others to get in the kitchen. To make something for someone else. To make something from scratch.

The good news is that this cookie is a cinch to make! Plus, it's a tad healthier than your average chocolate chip cookie. It's packed with healthy almond butter, it's free of butter and it's flourless. But, it doesn't skimp on the sugar, so if you'd like to reduce it, you can use 2/3 cup or 3/4 cup of the dark brown sugar.

I hope you just found your new go-to cookie. :)

Flourless Almond Butter-Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies

(Makes about 2 dozen cookies)

1 cup creamy almond butter (natural, unsweetened variety)
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 organic egg (you can make these vegan by using a flax "egg" - see below)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 tsp. sea salt or kosher salt
2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/2 heading cup of roasted almonds, chopped
1/2 heaping cup of dark chocolate, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large, glass bowl with a wooden spoon, blend the almond butter with the sugar until creamy. (You can also do this in a mixer.)
Add in the egg and stir to combine.
Make it vegan: Replace egg with a flax "egg" by mixing 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed with 3 tablespoons warm water. Let set for a few minutes to thicken.
Add in the vanilla, baking soda, salt and maple syrup and stir to fully incorporate.
Fold in the chopped almonds and dark chocolate until combined.
If the dough seems too runny, let set in the refrigerator for up to 30 minutes.
On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, scoop tablespoon-sized dough balls. Press down slightly.
Bake for about 10 minutes, until golden on the outside.
Take the cookies out from the oven and let cool on the cookie sheets for at least 15 minutes. Then, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
I keep these stored in the refrigerator or freezer.

Now, get a jar of almond butter and a bowl...and get yourself in the kitchen!