Almond Vanilla Cookies Recipes

EASY ALMOND BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Mix all-purpose flour, almonds, butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and almond extract in a large bowl until well blended.
• Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls and place 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

PERFECT VANILLA ALMOND CUT-OUT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350, with rack on lower middle position. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. It's important to measure flour accurately; use scoop/level method to ensure proper measurement. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix the sugar and butter on medium-high speed until mixture is light and fluffy, at least 2 minutes; use rubber spatula to scrape down sides as needed. Be sure to mix the full amount of time or longer. Add the egg and extracts and mix to fully incorporate.
• Switch to low speed. Gradually add the flour mixture gently mixing just until combined, stopping to scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl as needed. Do not over-mix.
• Use hands to work cookie dough into a smooth ball for rolling; if flour was measured accurately, texture will be similar to soft play-dough. It should not be sticky nor crumbly, but soft and pliable.
• Roll dough out on a floured surface to about 1/4" thick and cut into shapes. Place cookie shapes on parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze entire cookie sheet for 10 minutes, which helps retain shape when baking. (If you live in a cold region, you may even be able to place it outside. Otherwise, you can place in freezer in smaller batches if needed.)
• Transfer sheet of semi-frozen cookies straight into the preheated oven (only bake 1 sheet at a time.) Bake larger/thicker shapes (3.5 to 4 inch diameter) for 9-11 minutes and smaller shapes 7-8 minutes. *It's important to watch your first batch closely so you know how much time to bake your particular sized/shaped cookies. If they're baked a bit long, they'll be more likely to lose their shape. Cookies should be removed from oven when they seem slightly under-baked. They will set upon cooling.
• Let cool a few minutes on baking sheet and transfer to a cooling rack. Let cookies cool completely before decorating.

ALMOND COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla, and almond extract. Sift the flour over the top, add the salt and the chopped almonds and fold to combine.
• Pull off little pieces of the dough and roll them into balls about 1-inch in diameter, enclosing a whole almond in the center of each one. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake on the center rack of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until light brown. Transfer to racks to cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, roll 1/2 the cookies in the cocoa powder, and the remaining 1/2 in the confectioners' sugar. Serve warm or return to the rack to cool.

ALMOND VANILLA COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350° and cover 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, mix together chopped almonds, flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Mix in extracts Mix in flour mixture until well blended Beat until thoroughly combined.
• Form dough into 36 balls and place a whole almond in center of each ball.
• Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown, check after 15 minutes as I found I needed to turn the temperature down for the second batch.
• Note: I baked my second batch at 325° but it could just be my oven that runs hot.

DRIED CHERRY AND ALMOND COOKIES WITH VANILLA ICING

Steps:

• For the Cookies:
• In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract, cinnamon, and salt until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, then beat in the egg. Add the flour and beat on the lowest speed until just blended. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the dried cherries and almonds.
• Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap and shape it into a log, about 12-inches long and 1 1/2-inches in diameter. Wrap the dough in the plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (Dough can be made up to 3 days in advance).
• Arrange an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 heavy baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Cut the log crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices. Transfer the dough slices to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1-inch apart. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges and puffed, about 15 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before icing, about 30 minutes.
• For the Icing:
• Put the powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in the vanilla extract and water, adding more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the mixture becomes a drizzling consistency. (Makes about 2/3 cups icing, enough to ice both variations.)
• Put the cooled cookies on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Using a spoon or a fork, drizzle the cookies with the icing, allowing any excess icing to drip onto the baking sheet. Allow the icing to set before serving, about 1 hour.
• Cook's Note: To toast the almonds, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 6 to 8 minutes until lightly toasted. Cool completely before using.
• Cook's Note Alternative:
• Replace the dried cherries with 1/2 cup coarsely chopped dried apricots and add 2 tablespoons of toasted pine nuts. Also, use 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and omit the almond extract.