International Recipes
Almond Cookies
(Alfafores de Almendras - Argentina)
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup finely ground blanched almonds
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon cognac
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 4 tablespoons heavy cream
- 3/4 cup slivered almonds
Instructions
- Mix thoroughly the flour, ground almonds, baking powder and salt in a medium
size mixing bowl.
- Cream butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add egg, cognac and almond
extract; beat until light and fluffy. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients
and mix well to make a smooth dough. Gather the cookie dough into a ball, wrap
it in plastic, and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight.
- Roll the dough out to a thickness of 1/8 inch, working with one third of
it at a time, on a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough with fancy cookie
cutters. Carefully transfer the cookies to buttered cookie sheets. Brush lightly
with cream and put a few slivered almonds on top of each.
- Bake the cookies on the upper rack of a preheated 350 degree F oven for
6 to 8 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Gently remove the cookies with
a spatula to wire racks to cool.
- Serve the almond cookies, or store them, once they are completely cooled,
in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Makes about 3 dozen 2 1/2 to 3-inch cookies.