Dolce: Rose-Scented Almond Cookies

Almond cookies always reminds me of my grandmother, because baking around the holidays was always one of her favorite things to do. Days and days of baking would result in oodles of different flavored cookies. My favorite moment was when she would give us each a batch of her creations, piled high with variety. It was always a bit of a race between my father and I to see who could find and eat all of the almond cookies first – not all at once, but slowly and stealthily over a string of days. This recipe, adapted from Martha Stewart’s Cookies, is a twist on those almond cookies. Adding rosewater to the mix brings a special, unexpected flavor into play. –jacque

Ingredients
Yields 3 dozen

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1 cup almonds, finely ground

2 tablespoons rosewater

Directions

1. Mix together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.

2. Cream together room temperature butter and confectioners’ sugar in a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer for about 2 minutes. Add in egg and extracts and continue to mix. Fold in dry mixture until well combined.

3. Lastly, mix in the almonds and rosewater so that they are distributed throughout.

4. Wrap the dough in plastic and store in refrigerator until firm, about 25-30 minutes.

5. Preheat oven @ 350 degrees.

6. Create tablespoon-sized balls of dough. Roll each into a log of sorts and fold into a horseshoe shape.

7. Transfer cookies to a lined baking sheet (I use parchment paper).

8. Bake cookies until golden brown, usually about 20 minutes.

9. Allow cookies to cool and then dust with confectioners’ sugar.