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Prep Time: 60 Minutes Cook Time: 12 Minutes |
Ready In: 72 Minutes Servings: 6 |
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This is an almond butter cookie that melts in your mouth! An old Scandinavian recipe,I have been making this cookie for over 50 years: it was one of the first ones that my Swedish Grandmother taught me to make. However, this is NOT the cookie you make when you are running short on time. You must be proactive and do several steps before you can even begin the cookie itself. It is critical to really brown the butter as it's that key ingredient that adds all the flavour. I will make over 100 of these each Christmas: at the start of the baking day I wil brown and cool the butter. At the end of the baking day, I will combine the ingredients and bake it, knowing that these MUST sit out on the counter to cool 100% or they shatter. The next day I repeat the steps. But, these are so worth the little bit of extra preparation; they are the first cookie to disappear from the tray each year. Ingredients:
1 cup butter (never use margarine for this!) |
3/4 cup sugar |
1 teaspoon baking powder |
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract |
1/2 teaspoon almond extract |
1 teaspoon cardamom |
2 cups all-purpose flour |
24 whole almonds, skin removed |
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place butter in a large, heavy skillet. Cook over medium-low heat without stirring, about 15 minutes, or until butter becomes a light tan color. Remove pan from heat and allow to cool in a very cool place so butter can become solid again. I will put it out on the covered back porch or inside of the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes, checking often until it solidifies.
3. Break up the hardened brown butter with a wooden spoon or spatula.
4. In a separate bowl add sugar, flour, baking powder, and cardamom. Mix well and add the browned butter, stirring well with a pastry blender to combine all ingredients. Add vanilla and almond extract.
5. NOTE: The dough will be very, very granular. Initially, it will feel like it will not combine but it always does. Scoop enough dough into your hands to form a 1 inch ball and roll it around, allowing the heat from your hands to melt the butter. The dough feels gritty and when each ball is done, it will hold together beautifully and feel less gritty.
6. Shape dough into 1 balls. Place each ball 1 apart from other cookies on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Top each with an almond; press down slightly so it lays flat on ball.
7. NOTE: If you can not find whole almonds without their skin, place almonds in a small deep pan or bowl that is heat proof. Boil enough water in a kettle to cover almonds; allow to sit for 3-5 minutes. Drain off the water and the almonds slip out of their skin very easily. Just pinch the almond between two fingers and out pops the clean almond.
8. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Slide parchment paper with cookies attached to a flat surface to cool. ALLOW COOKIES TO COOL ON THE PARCHMENT UNTIL COMPLETELY COLD! They fall apart if taken off too soon! (I allow them a good hour to sit on the parchment paper and then move them to a rack.).
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