Description
These Almond Cookies feature a delicate frangipane filling nestled inside buttery, soft cookies topped with sliced almonds and a dusting of powdered sugar. Perfectly baked to a light golden brown, they offer a delightful almond flavor and a tender texture, ideal for an elegant dessert or a special treat with tea or coffee.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the Frangipane
- 3 tbsp (42 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/3 cup (66 g) granulated white sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp (40 g) ground almonds
- 1/3 cup (42 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- pinch of salt
For the Almond Cookies
- 1 3/4 cups (219 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup (168 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup (165 g) light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated white sugar
- 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp almond extract
- 1/2 cup (54 g) ground almonds
- 1/2 cup (50 g) sliced almonds, for topping the cookies
- powdered sugar, for dusting the cookies
Instructions
- Make the Frangipane: In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, granulated sugar, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and almond extract until well combined. Then gently fold in the ground almonds, all-purpose flour, and a pinch of salt. Set aside the frangipane mixture.
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set this dry flour mixture aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl, use an electric hand mixer on high speed to cream the softened butter with light brown sugar and granulated sugar until the mixture is fluffy, about 2 minutes. Alternatively, use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment for the same effect.
- Add Egg Yolks and Extracts: Add the egg yolks, vanilla extract, and almond extract to the creamed butter and sugars. Mix on medium speed until the mixture is pale in color and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Combine with Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry flour mixture and ground almonds to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed just until the dough comes together with no visible flour.
- Shape and Fill Cookies: Using a large cookie scoop (about 2 tablespoons), portion the dough into 18 equal parts. Roll each portion into a ball. Using a half tablespoon measure, make a slight indent in the center of each dough ball, then fill the indent with about 1/2 tablespoon of the prepared frangipane, slightly flattening it out. Finally, top each cookie with sliced almonds.
- Bake: Place 6 cookies at a time on the prepared baking sheet, spaced about 2 inches apart. Bake in the preheated oven for 13 minutes until the cookies are lightly golden around the edges.
- Shape Cookies After Baking: Immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, use a large circular cookie cutter to gently press around each cookie, creating a perfect circular shape and helping maintain thickness as they cool.
- Cool and Dust: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, dust the cookies with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
- Make sure the butter is softened, not melted, for creaming to get the best texture in the cookie dough.
- If you do not have ground almonds, you can finely grind blanched almonds in a food processor.
- Use room temperature egg yolks to ensure they incorporate smoothly into the dough.
- The indentation and filling with frangipane is key for the traditional almond flavor and moist texture inside the cookies.
- Shaping the cookies with a cutter immediately after baking helps maintain a uniform size and prevents excess spreading.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for longer storage.
- For a nut-free option, omit almond extracts and use vanilla extract only, replacing almonds with finely chopped white chocolate or seeds.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 80 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
