Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

In a medium bowl, whisk almond flour, salt, and baking powder until evenly combined. This ensures the cookies rise gently and have a light crumb.

In another bowl, blend cottage cheese, grated cheddar, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Cottage cheese should be well drained so the dough isn’t too wet.

Add the dry flour mixture to the cheese-egg mixture and stir gently until a soft dough forms. If using nuts or seeds or cinnamon, fold them in now. The dough should be slightly sticky but manageable; if too wet, chill for 10 minutes.

Use a cookie scoop or spoon to portion out 8 balls of dough onto the prepared sheet. Gently flatten each ball with your fingers or the back of a spoon — about 1/2-inch thick.

Bake for 11–13 minutes, or until the edges begin to turn light golden and the centers look set but still soft. The cookies continue to firm slightly as they cool.

Remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack (or plate) to cool completely. The cookies will be moist inside with a lightly crisp edge.