Almond Cookies

I saw this recipe awhile ago and have been dying to make it.  Yesterday was my opportunity and I am so glad I made these.  With the kids out of the house, I have to think about not having so many leftovers around. And when it is a dessert I don't really want the temptation sitting right there on my counter.  

I follow a blogger called Dessert for Two who has some great desserts but in smaller portions. You can make just a half dozen of chocolate chip cookies or maybe just two chocolate lava cakes.  This is a recipe for almond cookies that make twelve small cookies that taste great. 

How to make almond bars:

1. In a small bowl, beat together with an electric mixer the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and almond extract. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and mix until a crumbly dough starts to form.
   
2. Shortbread crust can be a little crumbly, but when you squeeze it in your hand, it comes together. This is the perfect texture for the crust. It makes for a light, tender but rich crust.Press the dough firmly into the lined 8×8″ pan with your hands into an even layer.
   
3. Brush the milk on top of the crust with a pastry brush, and sprinkle the toasted almonds on top.
4. Bake for 15 minutes, until the top feels dry and the edges of the crust are just starting to turn golden brown, but do not let these bars brown at all. Also important:  let the bars cool in the pan–they’re very delicate when warm and would break if you moved them out of the pan at this point.
   
5. After an hour or so, remove the bars from the pan to a wire rack. Mix together the almond glaze, and drizzle over the bars before cutting and serving.
   

These almond bars are great sliced into little sticks and wrapped into gift bags with a ribbon. They’re sturdy enough to dunk in hot chocolate, and the flavor of almonds plus chocolate is next level!

Other Christmas Cookies you might like:

Christmas Lights Cookies

Gingersnaps Recipe

Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars

Christmas Sugar Cookie Cut Outs

 CONTINUE TO CONTENT

YIELD: 12 COOKIES

Almond Bars

4.5 Stars (17 Reviews)

One dozen almond bars for Christas cookie exchange.

PREP TIME10 minutes

COOK TIME15 minutes

ADDITIONAL TIME1 hour

TOTAL TIME1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened (not whipped cream cheese)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• splash of milk for adhering almonds

For the glaze:

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 3-4 teaspoons milk, more or less

1. Preheat the oven to 325. Place rack  in the center position of the oven.
2. Spray an 8x8” square pan with cooking spray, and set aside. 
3. In a medium bowl, beat together with an electric mixer the softened butter and cream cheese. Slowly stream in the sugar while continuing to beat.
4. Next, add the almond extract and beat to combine.
5. Finally, sprinkle the flour, baking powder, and salt evenly over the bowl.
6. Beat until this mixture is homogenous and crumbly, however it won’t combine into a dough, just a crumbly mixture. It should stick together when you grab a handful and press it in your hands. Pour the dough mixture into the prepared pan, and use your fingers to press it flat to the edges of the pan. Pack it firmly. The heat of your hands will help the dough come together.
7. Next, brush a small amount of milk on top of the dough, and sprinkle the sliced almonds on top. Press them lightly to stick to the dough.
8. Bake for 15 minutes, until the top of the dough is dry and the edges are just starting to turn light golden brown, but do not let these bars brown at all.
9. Let the bars cool for at least 30-60 minutes, or until it’s easy to cut them into sticks and remove them from the pan. To do this, slice the bars in quarters, and then cut 3 pieces from each quarter, for a total of 1 dozen cookie sticks.
10. When the bars are cool, whisk together the glaze. Whisk the powdered sugar, almond extract, and milk together until it’s thick enough to drizzle on top. Try to use enough milk so that the mixture is easy to drizzle, but not too much that the glaze doesn’t dry on the cookies.