Almond Sandwich Cookies
Crunchy Almond Sandwich Cookies make marvelous edible gifts and will be the highlight of the neighborhood cookie exchange.
The first time I made these Almond Sandwich Cookies I was trapped in my house due to snow.
We don’t have white drifts blanketing the landscape like many friends up North. Snow in the Blue Ridge Mountains is a novelty. We see it on the mountain tops. We drive up into it to ski. We even get enough in the valleys to sled once or twice each year.
But drive in it? Live functional lives in it?
No. We don’t do that.
Our local schools had been closed four times that December, due to 1-2 inches of snow.
Ridiculous, you might say, but Asheville is just not equipped to clear roads to free us from our homes! Too many people live on the slopes, meaning one patch of black ice could be detrimental.
So I was stuck in my house. Christmas shopping undone. Holiday errands un-run. Holiday baking?
That I could still do. I even have a couple school-skipping elves to help me!
Cookies are magical. They provide a common bond for any group of people. They offer instant (if only momentary) bliss. They are adored by the young and old alike. Cookies are bite-sized portions of love.
I found this particular Almond Sandwich Cookies recipe in an old Bon Appetite Magazine. After drooling over the photo I noticed they were made with almond paste instead of flour.
Very curious.
The Almond Sandwich Cookies reminded me of the classic Amaretti cookies you find in the square metal tins this time of year. Only thinner, softer, and filled with jam.
I experimented with fillings and found my family liked blackberry jam the best.
The first batch of Almond Sandwich Cookies gave a random winter snowed-in day glimmer of excitement. I’ve been making them for holiday cookie exchanges ever since!
Almond Sandwich Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups sliced almonds
- 7 ounces almond paste (1 tube)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup egg whites
- Fruit jam or filling, any flavor
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line to large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Break the almond paste into chunks and place it in a food processor. Add the sugar and cinnamon and grind until fine. Add the egg whites and pulse until smooth.
- Scoop the mixture into a large zip bag and snip a hole in one corner. If the almond mixture in thick, pour the sliced almonds on to a plate. Then squeeze circle onto the almonds. Flip them over so they are covered with almonds on both sides, then lay them on the cookie sheets. If the almond mixture is loose, place little mounds of sliced almonds on the cookies sheets where the cookies will be. Squeeze the mixture into circles on top of the little almond piles. Then sprinkle with a few more almonds.
- Bake for 9-12 minutes. Keep an eye on them at the end because they turn dark quickly.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely on the parchment paper. Then turn half of them over and top with jam or frosting. Give each cookie a top and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Looks and sounds delicious…will give it a try !
What fabulous cookies! They must taste heavenly.
Cheers,
Rosa
Those look great. I found one paragraph of the directions somewhat confusing so I edited them on a Word .doc and sent it to you for your input.
These cookies I'll definitely make. I LOVE ALMOND PASTE!
I know I would love the flavors in these cookies with all of the almonds! Baking is a great way to spend the day and so relaxing. I missed being able to do much of it this year because of my surgery, but I at least get to enjoy your photos! Happy Holidays!
I like the title of the post, Sommer. The cookies look cute with uneven corners. Love the frosting and pictures.
wonderful cookies and a fun thing to do with the kids