I avoid cookie-making. Now that our kids are long-since gone and our grandchildren are infrequent visitors, I figure I don’t have the patience or desire to bake cookies. However (HOWEVER) I am now in love with Almond Crackle Cookies from Dorie Greenspan (whose new cookbook, Dorie’s Cookies just won a James Beard award). The recipe is unusual, simple, and the cookies are delicious. Of course, I love all nuts (both human and non! 🙂 And, in case you’re avoiding flour, they’re gluten free. Plus, they freeze well and, put into a plastic zip-lock bag, will stay crisp and perfect for at least 3 days (no need to refrigerate).
Almond Crackle Cookies
Ingredients
- 6 T sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/4 cups sliced blanched almonds
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 bakings sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Whisk the sugar and egg together well, then add the almonds and stir until the almonds are evenly coated. Do not let it sit long before using and stir it occasionally while spooning the batter onto the sheets.
Use a 1 T measuring spoon and fill it almost to the top (2+ teaspoons worth). Spoon that onto the baking sheet (go ahead – use your really clean fingers to scrape out the tablespoon measurer!) and flatten the cookie dough slightly. Proceed with the remaining dough, leaving about 2″ between each mound of batter. Bake for about 15-20 minutes (watch them carefully after about 12 minutes) – or until the cookies look brown on the edges and crispy/crackled on top. Transfer the baking sheets to a rack and let the cookies cool for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes use a spatula to remove each cookie from the sheet.
Big Little Meals 
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I’m a friend of Joanne Brattain’s from La Quinta and she was kind enough to send me your blog. We just returned to Illinois from LAQ and our pantry is pretty bare, but I had all the ingredients for these luscious treats. I love to cook, am familiar with many of the chef/authors you mentioned and look forward to following your blog. Sandy Wright
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