A is for Almond, B is for Butter...

I have an excess of almond extract (I couldn't help myself when an 8oz bottle of the good stuff appeared on sale), so expect it to be included in many recipes in future.  Also almond is delicious.  So is brown(ed) butter, which brings me to Brown Butter and Almond Cookies.

I adapted a simple sugar cookie recipe, adding the brown butter and almond and also turning them into a slice-and-bake variety because I wanted the edges of the cookies to be rolled in ground almond.  I consulted this slice-and-bake recipe for the thickness of the sliced cookies and the temperature, although it might also have behooved me to use icing sugar as it suggests instead of caster sugar.  It's an excuse for another go anyway!

The recipe is in the Recipe Box.  Start by browning the butter over medium heat, stirring continuously once melted to keep it from burning.  Keep stirring the butter over heat until it is brown and emitting a nutty aroma.  I took the butter off the heat when it smelled right to me, but once it was out of the pan I thought I should have left it longer, the butter could have been browner.

I stuck it in the freezer instead of in the refrigerator because I was in a hurry (no time to wait when cookies are at stake!), but I left it a little too long - the butter froze.

I let it thaw, but the butter was still quite cold when I creamed it with the sugar.  It's probably better to wait for the butter to be at room temperature before creaming it, but as you might have noticed, I have issues with patience...  While waiting for the brown butter to set - or waiting for it to defrost as the case may be - mix the dry ingredients and set them aside.  When the butter is set, cream it with the sugar, beat in the egg and extracts, and stir in the dry ingredients.  Roll the dough into logs, and then firm them up by rolling them tightly in parchment paper or wax paper.

Once all the dough is rolled, refrigerate it for a couple hours, or freeze it for 20-40 or so minutes (don't freeze it solid, unless you want to save it for use another day).  When the logs are ready, take them out and roll them through ground almonds.

After the logs have been coated in ground almonds, slice off cookies about 1/3" thick.

Bake at 350F (180C) for about 8 minutes.  I baked my first batch for longer, until they were a golden brown, and they came out very crunchy; not a bad crunchy, a bit like a biscotti, but still, you'd not want to bite into them if you had dentures...

If at first you don't succeed, bake some more!