Lili Marlene's Almond Cookies

Lili Marlene’s Almond Cookies

125g (4 ounces) butter
1 cup brown sugar (packed down)
1 egg
1 teaspoon almond or vanilla essence
100g ground almonds
1 ½ cups plain flour (can use ½ cup wholemeal plain flour)
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder or bicarb
Glace cherries or other things to decorate (optional)
Extra flour for rolling out
Spray grease or butter for baking trays

Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric beater, then beat in the egg and the essence (I often cheat and add the egg before the mix is properly creamed, it speeds up the process but there is a risk of curdling)

Sift the flour and the baking powder or bicarb together

Stir the ground almonds into the creamed mixture with a wooden spoon, then mix in the flour

Gently grab the mix together with floured fingers and roll it into a ball. Unless the mix feels firm and cool, chill mix for ½ hour before rolling it out (to make the dough less sticky to handle)

Preheat oven. Divide dough into two balls, roll dough on a floured board with rolling pin, cut into shapes with cookie cutters or rim of a glass (a small star shape will bake quickly and evenly and looks festive decorated with a half cherry in the centre) (keep rolling out left-over pieces till all the dough is used up)

Place cookies on greased baking trays (leave plenty of space), and decorate if you wish to. Bake in a moderate oven (180C/350F) for around 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool a few minutes on trays, then place on cooling rack.


Copyright Lili Marlene 2008