The trick to holiday baking is to get it done early enough to ease the stressful time crunch of the "to do" list before Christmas Eve. But the downside around this house is that between event contributions and all those people who deserve a little something, by the time the big day rolls around there is often little left.
But the tradition is rewarding even if we do swear we'll cut back on the "unnecessary" work every year. New, untried and enticing recipes flood our Facebook pages and magazines, adding to the craziness of what makes for holiday cheer.
This new recipe is a keeper. It was cut out years ago from a Taste Of Home magazine and was tucked away in a cookie cookbook.
What sets it apart from the usual sugar cookie is the almond extract rather than the usual vanilla.
The buttery taste makes this a definite melt-in-your mouth gem of a cookie.
ALMOND SUGAR COOKIES
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
1 cup softened butter (no substitutions)
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp almond extract
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in the almond extract.
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Sift these three dry ingredients.
Add this dry mixture to the creamed mixture.
With your hands, roll into 1 inch balls.
Place two inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Coat the bottom of a glass with cooking spray.
Dip the glass into a bit of sugar and flatten the cookie balls.
Baked at 400 for 7 - 9 minutes or longer (12 minutes) if the cookie dough balls were larger.
Remove the cookie sheet when the edges of the cookies are lightly brown.
Cool for 1 minute and remove the cookies to a wire rack.
For Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 tsp almond extract
2 - 3 tsp water.
sliced almonds, toasted
In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar, almond extract and enough water to achieve a glaze consistency to drizzle.
Tint with food coloring if desired and drizzle a bit onto each cookie.
Let the cookies cool before you add the drizzle or the icing melts into the cookie.
Sprinkle with almond slices.
Makes 3 - 4 dozen, depending how big the dough balls were.
