'Tis the season to make, bake and take

Sorry I haven't blogged much lately. I been busy baking, working on freelance projects, baking, working on my job search, baking, shoveling, baking, trimming the tree, baking, going to a parties, baking, going to a cookie exchange...

You get the idea.


I shared a sampling of cookies from Sunday's cookie exchange (cocoa shortbread Scotties, Spritz cookies, coffee-flecked cookies topped with chocolate-covered espresso beans, two kinds of chunky, nut-fruit-and-chip cookies) with my sister Annie, and told her the only thing missing were the Almond Horns I brought along.

You don't come home from a cookie exchange with your own cookies. That would defeat the purpose! There were some extras but I shared them with Robert, who was pleased to have a plate of his own, real-deal cookies -- not his usual lot of misshapen, broken and/or overly brown rejects.

I'd been wanting to try this recipe for Almond Horns, from Martha Stewart's "Cookies,'' for a while, and was glad I did.


They're formed by hand, so you get to play with the dough. Better still, they're crisp and crumbly, not super-sweet, easy to make and easy to enjoy with coffee or tea.

Going to a cookie exchange or holiday party this weekend? Take some along!
 
Almond Horns

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted, plus more for dusting

1 large egg

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1 cup whole raw almonds, toasted and finely ground in a food processor

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

Put butter and and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in egg and extracts. Reduce speed to low. Mix in flour mixture and almonds until just combined. Wrap dough in plastic; refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

Roll 1 tablespoon of dough (yes, measure it!) into a 4-inch log; gently shape into a horseshoe. Repeat with remaining dough. Transfer to baking sheets lined with parchment.

Bake cookies (rotating sheets halfway through) until pale golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks using a spatula; let cool completely. Transfer to waxed paper. Sift sugar over cookies. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature 2 to 3 days. Makes 36 to 42 cookies, depending on size.

 

Comments

[Margaret @ Eat First]

Hi, Rachael -- I wish I knew the answer to your question! Let us know how they turn out.

Thanks for visiting.

--Margaret

[Rachael]

Wow, these look delish. My husband and I love almonds, and almond flavored things. There is always a big bag of raw almonds in our kitchen and we snack on them every day. We also do not eat a lot of grains or wheat, so I wonder if this cookie would taste good if we used a combination of millet and brown rice flours? I'm feeling an experiment coming on!

[Margaret @ Eat First]

Hi, Barbara -- Glad you liked! I am not opposed to not sharing! Do you have this Martha Stewart book? It's a good one. Hope to see you soon. XO

--Margaret

[barbara]

I am SO making these. They were wonderful. I did not share them.