1. Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Finely chop pecans.

3. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and wet ingredients: almond flour, chopped pecans, ghee, maple syrup, egg, vanilla extract, soda, and salt. Stir well with a spoon.


4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 20 minutes.
5. Using a medium-sized scoop, place portions of the cold cookie dough onto the lined cookie sheet, ensuring even spacing between them.

Press cookie dough balls with the bottom of a glass (or palm of your hand) to flatten them into disks. I wipe the bottom of the glass with a piece of damp paper towel after each cookie to prevent sticking.

6. Thinly slice the apple around the core into half-moon slices.

7. Take three apple slices for each cookie, and here's the best part: position one slice in the center, and place the other two closer to the sides, arranging them to resemble a flower petal pattern. 

8. Sprinkle with cinnamon and powdered sugar (omit powdered sugar for paleo).

9. Position the baking sheet in the middle of the oven and bake cookies for 12-14 minutes, or until they achieve a light golden brown color all over and slightly darker around the edges.

10. Decorate the cookies by adding two pecan halves to mimic leaves. Gently press the ends of the pecan halves against the edge to secure them in place. This simple touch will give your cookies the delightful appearance of apples. If the pecans don't stay in place, as an alternative, you can add them just before serving. We're aiming for a nice look, but the taste will be great either way.
11. For best results, let the cookies rest at room temperature on the baking sheet for roughly 10 minutes then move to a wire rack to cool completely. Store leftover baked cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.