Honey Almond Cookies

By Anne L. Watson, from Baking with Cookie Molds.

A soft, rather dense cookie with a definite almond flavor, its pale color and smooth texture make it a good choice for intricate molds.

Metric measurements given here are not exact conversions but approximations, usually rounded to the nearest five units. Also given in parentheses are U.K. equivalents to U.S. ingredients and terms.

Ingredients

3/4 cup (235 grams) almond paste (See notes below.)
1/2 cup (115 grams) unsalted butter or margarine
1/2 cup (120 milliliters) honey
1/4 cup (60 milliliters) milk
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
About 4 1/2 cups (630 grams) all-purpose flour (plain flour)

Directions

1. Chop the almond paste, or tear into bits about the size of a small grape.
2. Combine the almond paste and butter in a heatproof container. Warm in a low oven or microwave until the butter is melted. Beat well to dissolve most of the almond paste in the warm butter.
3. Mix the honey, milk, and almond extract. Add to the butter mixture and beat until well mixed.
4. Mix the sugar and salt. Add to the butter mixture and beat until well mixed.
5. Beat the egg until yolk and white are fully mixed. Add to the butter mixture and beat until smooth.
6. Add flour slowly until the mixture is solid enough to knead.
7. Transfer to your work surface and knead in more flour to make a soft, slightly sticky dough.
8. Wrap or cover the dough and refrigerate for up to 1/2 hour—until it's firm but still flexible.
9. Roll and form the dough with a cavity mold [according to the directions for Anne's Lemon Cookies, or with an impression mold according to the directions in the chapter "More about Molds, in Baking with Cookie Molds].
10. Refrigerate the cookies while you preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C), or lower for especially thick cookies.
11. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the edges have slightly browned and the top has begun to firm up. Be careful to avoid overbaking, or the cookies will become too hard as they cool.

Notes

The amount of almond paste given here was figured from a commercial product. If you're using homemade almond paste, you might try adding a full cup instead, or just measure by weight.

Baking with Cookie Molds, by Anne L. Watson, Shepard Publications, 2010, 2018.

Recipes and technique to successfully make beautiful molded cookies—especially St. Nicholas, of course! Up-dated, expanded, and full-color edition.

Purchase from amazon.com, amazon.ca or amazon.uk.

Cookie Molds Around the Year: An Almanac of Molds, Cookies, and Other Treats for Christmas, New Year's, Valentine's Day, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Other Holidays, and Every Season, by Anne L. Watson, Next River Books, 2017.

More recipes, more tips, and more beautiful photos of molded cookies for every occasion. A good companion and expansion to Baking with Cookie Molds.

Purchase from amazon.com, amazon.ca or amazon.uk and help support stnicholascenter.org; thank you.

From Anne L. Watson, Baking with Cookie Molds, Shepard Publications, 2016. Used by permission.

back to top