Almondettes Food

ITALIAN ALMOND-ICED COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter 2 baking pans. In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt together. In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), mix the eggs and sugar until pale yellow and fluffy. With the mixer running, drizzle in the oil, vanilla, almond extract and mix. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using your hands, form into logs 1-inch in diameter. Working in batches if necessary, cut into 3/4-inch-thick slices and arrange the cookies on the sheet pans. Bake until light golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on wire racks.
• Icing: In a medium bowl, whisk the milk, egg white, confectioners' sugar and almond extract until smooth. Divide the icing into one large and two smaller batches. Leave the large batch of icing white; color the other 2 to your liking.
• When the cookies are cool, dip the tops into the white icing. Use a fork or a squeeze bottle to drizzle the cookies with the other colors. Let set in a cool place 1 hour.

RASPBERRY ALMONETTES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in oil and extract. In another bowl, whisk flour, salt and baking powder; gradually beat into creamed mixture., Shape dough into 1-in. balls; press one side into chopped almonds. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets, almond side up. Flatten to 1/4-in. thickness with bottom of a glass., Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges are light brown. Cool on pans 5 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely., For filling, in a small bowl, beat cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and extract until smooth. Place rounded teaspoonfuls of filling on bottoms of half of the cookies. Make an indentation in center of each; fill with 1/4 teaspoon preserves. Cover with remaining cookies. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

ALMOND COOKIES III

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and almond extract until smooth. Combine the flour and salt; stir into the butter mixture until well blended. Cover and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Drop cookies by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets, and press down slightly with the bottom of a glass. Place a whole almond on top of each cookie.
• Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until firm. Remove cookies from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

ALMONDETTES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Mixing well after each. Mix dry ingredients together. Gradually add dry ingredients and extracts. Mixing well. Add chopped nuts. Mix well. Form small loaves on greased cookies sheets. Do not make the loaves too wide or high. They will spread as they bake. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Until golden brown on bottom and cake tester comes out clean. Place on rack to cool. FROSTING Mix all ingredients together. Adding about 3 tablespoons of milk at a time until frosting is spreadable and not runny. Frost cooled loaves and sprinkle with red and green sprinkles or colored sugar. Chocolate sprinkles are good too.