Almond Drops

I was flipping through one of my cookbooks, trying to decide what to make, and I came across a recipe for a cookie with Anise in it.  Now I'm not really a fan of anise in my baked goods, so I thought I could fix up the recipe and make it my own with Almond in it.  They turned out really good!  I feel like I'm getting pretty good at taking a recipe and switching things up. 

I must of looked at the recipe 5 times before I got started - just to make sure that it really didn't call for any butter.  It really doesn't!!  I was amazed by this fact!  I don't think I've ever made a cookie that didn't call for butter or shortening in it.  Away I went with my stand mixer mixing like crazy, and I must say that this is the easiest and quickest cookie recipe ever.  Warning: if you don't have a stand mixer and use just a hand-held one, you will be holding it for at least 6 minutes - there is A LOT of mixing in this. 

Once the dough was all ready, into my pastry gun it went (if you don't have a pastry bag, a Ziploc bag will work fantastic! I do it all the time when I bake at my parents.  Just fill the bag and cut the tip of one of the corners).  You don't have to do this part, you could always just scoop it out with a teaspoon and spread it out so they bake evenly.  But they should look like this before they go into the oven......

circles of dough

They bake really quick - so don't go too far.  You just want them to be a light golden brown on the edges and kind of wrinkly looking on the tops. 

yum yum yum

These are a strange combination of a crispy and a chewy cookie. The outside is crispy and inside is nice and chewy.  And it's pretty awesome!  If you bake them a little too long and the edges are brown, its OK, it's just going to be a super crispy cookie (happened on my last batch in).  Feel free to switch out the almond extract part for your favorite flavoring....will work great with any flavoring.  I brought some to one of my taste testers and she said they were a hit and they were gone quickly.  So enjoy everyone! Happy baking!

Almond Drops

makes about 4 dozen

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp coarse salt

3 large eggs

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 tsp almond extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats.  Sift together flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl.
2. Put eggs in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Mix on medium speed until eggs are fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Gradually beat in the sugar until incorporated, about 3 minutes.  Mix in almond extract.  Reduce speed to low; mix in flour mixture.  Transfer to pastry bag fitted with a 1/2" plain tip.  Pipe 1 3/4" rounds onto baking sheets spacing 1/2" apart.
3. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until tops crack and cookies are very pale, 8-9 minutes.  Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely.