First off, I’d like to note that this post is coming at you from 30,000 feet courtesy of Google Chrome, Delta Airlines, and Xanax. I sincerely hate flying, I really do, but the introduction of wireless on planes has made it a lot nicer, especially when it is free. I love living in the future.

So I take this time as the plane bounces haphazzardly through the atmosphere (I exaggerate, it is only as bad as any Michigan road right now), I bring you more of my Christmas Cookie recipes.

These cookies specifically were inspired by some ‘Just Almond Meal” that I found at Trader Joes. My husband and I eat a lot of nuts, because they are both high in protein as well as good fats… and thus are filling. I was grabbing our typical stash of lightly salted cashews and pistachios (for him) and walnuts (for me). This bag of “Just Almond Meal” was just too good for the budding baker to pass up and incorporate into one of her recipies.

Here is the recipe I used for Almond cookies. These are a crispier cookie than I had envisioned, but they were also a hit! I like my cookies chewy, but these weren’t for me.

Almond Cookies

Recipe from about.com
IMG_9615

Ingredients (makes 4 dozen cookies):
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup ground almonds
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
dash salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg white
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
A bag of almond slivers or blanched whole almonds

Directions:
Stir together flour, ground almonds, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
In a mixing bowl cream butter and sugar at medium speed of electric hand held mixer. Beat in egg white and almond extract.

Stir flour and ground almond mixture into the creamed mixture. Cover with plastic wrap; chill for about 2 hours.

Shape dough into small balls, about 3/4-inch. Place balls 2 inches apart; flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass. Press an almond into the center of each cookie. Bake at 350° for about 12 minutes, or until set but not browned.