I fell in love and had my heart broken in two. Not by husband, but by a cookie.

I first spotted the cookie across the crowded aisle of my local Wholefoods store. He was different to all the cookies I had seen before. He was a wholesome, all-natural kind of cookie and although he had never even seen the inside of an oven, he had more warmth and flavour than any cookie I had ever had met before. His rich almond buttery taste was too much to bear, I couldn’t resist. It was the most delicious encounter I had ever experienced, he made my taste buds come alive! Although I tried to stay away, I always found myself going back for more and each time I indulged it tasted just like it had that very first time.

Then one day he wasn’t there on his normal shelf. A rather dry looking flapjack had rudely taken his place. Perhaps he had moved to a different part of the store? I frantically grabbed the nearest assistant, only to be told that he had gone and she wasn’t sure when he would be coming back.

I was completely heartbroken, but as I made the slow walk home I was determined not to give up on my love affair and vowed that I would crack the No-Bake Almond Butter Cookie recipe.

And so here it is. It is such a simple recipe to follow (and such a relief not to have to turn the oven on in the middle of a hot summer!) and the taste is out of this world. I challenge you not to fall in love with this cookie as much as I did.

Simply place the butter, sugar, almond milk (you can also use whole, or semi-skimmed milk) and salt into a saucepan. Place the saucepan on a high heat and bring the contents to a quick boil. Let boil for 1 minute, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the almond butter and almond essence until it has completely dissolved. Then stir in the oats.

Scoop and divide the mixture onto a non-stick baking mat. It’s best to use a cookie scoop, but as I don’t have one, I improvised with an ice-cream scoop.

Leave the cookies to cool for half an hour or until they have set. Then devour, or store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.