Almond Cookies

makes about 36 cookies

recipe adapted from This Is A Cookbook: Recipes for Real Life

  • 1 1/2 cups whole almonds, plus sliced almonds for garnish
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla
  • 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar

Preheat oven to 375F. Put the almonds in a food processor and process until coarsely ground, 15-20 seconds. Stop the machine and pulse carefully until nuts are finely and uniformly ground, stirring in between pulses as needed. Work carefully, as you don’t want the nuts to turn to paste. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the sugar and melted butter and stir to mix well. Beat in the egg, then add the flour and ground almonds and mix well. Stir in the vanilla extract.

Scoop out 1 tablespoon of dough, roll it into a ball between your palms, and flatten into a round cookie. Place on a greased baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart on the pan. You will need two baking sheets.

Press about a tablespoon of slivered almonds into the center of each cookie. Bake until lightly golden brown, 9-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a baking rack. Place confectioner’s sugar in a sift and sift sugar on top of cookies. Cookies will keep stored in an airtight container for up to one week.