My mom used to make these every year for us at Christmastime. My immediate family lives in Canada but I’ve been in Bermuda now for 14 years. I used to make these cookies before I had kids to feel less homesick and now I make them for my three daughters. It makes me feel like my mom is with me and puts a smile on my daughters’ faces. I hope they continue the tradition as they get older and make these cookies for their kids.
- Ingredients:
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup room-temperature butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ tsp almond extract
- Milk
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- For the almond icing:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ¼ tsp almond extract
- Milk
- Directions:
- Mix together flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside.
- In a large mixer, beat butter until softened. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add egg and almond extract and beat well.
- Add flour mixture gradually and beat until dough resembles marzipan or play dough.
- Divide dough into fourths. Shape each fourth into a 12-inch roll. Place 2 rolls 4–5 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten each roll to about 3 inches wide. (I use a straight-sided glass jar to get a smooth surface. I also trim the sides to get a neat edge and cut both ends on the diagonal.)
- Repeat with remaining rolls.
- Brush flattened rolls with milk; sprinkle with almonds.
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 12–14 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
- While still warm, cut crosswise at a diagonal into 1-inch strips. (I cut the baked, flattened rolls halfway along on the diagonal, lift them with a spatula onto a cutting board, and continue cutting into diagonal strips with a long sharp knife).
- Leave to cool before drizzling with almond icing. Allow icing to harden before storing.
- Directions for the almond icing:
- Mix powdered icing sugar, almond extract and enough milk (3–4 teaspoons) until you get an icing that is the consistency perfect for drizzling.
