Variety is the spice of life, and what’s better than having a wide variety of cookie recipes? Sometimes taking a break from the usual chocolate chip recipe can be a really good thing. Because it gives you a chance to make things like these almond cookies! They’re simple in presentation but robust in flavor. They’re crisp and crunchy, and sweet with the essence of almond.
We wanted to fill these almond cookies with as much almond flavor as possible. So on top of using slivered almonds in the cookie, we found a few other ways to pack that flavor in. The solution ended up being a combination of almond flour and almond extract. This helped add a wonderfully crisp texture while making sure that the almond is indeed the hero of these cookies (as opposed to sugar which happens too often with other cookie recipes). A little orange zest lightened the flavor of the cookies while some honey kicked up the sweetness a bit. Keep reading below for this delicious recipe!
Almond Cookies
Yield(s): Serves 24
30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups almond flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
- a pinch of kosher salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon orange zest, finely grated
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds
- thinly sliced almonds, for topping (optional)
Preparation
- Beat together almond flour, salt, and butter until the mixture is coarse and chunky looking.
- Add one egg, the almond extract, honey, and orange zest. Mix until just incorporated.
- Sift together the flour, sugar, and baking soda, then gradually add to the butter mixture and mix until just combined. Fold in slivered almonds.
- Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and wrap it. Place the dough in the fridge for at least two hours to chill.
- Preheat the oven to 325F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Crack the remaining egg into a bowl and beat it.
- Take pieces of dough and roll them into balls about 3/4" wide. Place them on the sheet about an inch apart and press them down slightly with your palm to make them into a coin shape.
- If using, place a slice of almond (or a few slices of almond) on top of each cookie and lightly press it in. Paint the surface of each cookie with some of the beaten egg using a pastry brush.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until the edges just begin to tan. Cool on a wire rack.
- Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Simply Recipes.