Almond Cookies

Almond Cookies: Date Added: 11 Nov 2009 Ingredients:

1/2 cup granulated sugar (white)
3/4 cup soft brown sugar - (packed)
1/2 cup margarine
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (essence)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Sesame seeds -- as needed
24 blanched almond halves

Cooking Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cream the sugars with the margarine. Add the egg and almond extract and beat until fluffy.

Sift the flour and baking powder together and fold into the mixture a little at a time. Beat lightly to make a smooth dough. Do not knead the mixture too much, or the cookies will be hard.

Shape the dough into balls the size of a walnut. Dip the tops of the cookies into the sesame seeds. (You may need to slightly dampen the top of each with a little water.) Lightly press half an almond into the center and flatten a little.

Place the cookies about 1 inch apart. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown. Store in airtight containers.

This recipe yields 24 cookies.

Comments: The almond has an interesting history in China. The sweet almond was already in cultivation in the late Tang dynasty (AD 618-906), having been brought to China from Russian Turkestan and central Asia.