Almond Cookies

I was inspired to make these cookies from my job at the bakery. We made a almond macaroon that was crunchy on the outside but chewy on the inside. Full of almond paste and almond flour. These cookies have more crunch and are bursting with almond flavor. If you like almonds, this is it! 

You can get almond flour in your regular grocery store by the specialty flours. It's a bit expensive, but in my mind, worth it. You could also make your own almond flour by grinding almonds in a food processor until powdery. It will take some time but it works.

Almond Cookies

7 ounces almond paste

½ cup (1 stick) Earth Balance margarine, room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

½ tsp almond extract

1 cup plus 3 tbsp almond flour

1/8 tsp salt

½ tsp baking powder

sliced almonds, for topping

- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

- In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the almond paste, margarine, and sugar until smooth and fluffy. Add in the almond extract and mix until incorporated.

- In a small bowl whisk together the almond flour, salt, and baking powder.

- Slowly add in the dry ingredients to the almond paste mixture and beat until just combined.

- Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate until cold. About an hour.

- Once the dough is chill, roll dough into teaspoon size balls and place sliced almonds on the top, pressing them into the dough slightly. Bake for about 10-12 minutes. Keep an eye on them as they go from perfectly golden to black in no time! Bake until the edges are golden brown.

- Allow the cookies to sit on the baking tray for 5 minutes before you move them to a cooling rack. Why? When they come out of the oven they are soft and brake easily. But, once cooled they are crunchy on the outside and have perfectly chewy centers.

- Kimberly