Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
- 3/4 cup almonds (raw)
- 5 oz. butter or margarine
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Preparation:
Makes approximately 16 (2-inch round) cookies.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Measure and pour flour out onto a cookie sheet. Place in oven and "toast" the flour. Occasionally move the flour around on the sheet, so that it toasts evenly. Leave in oven for about 8 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Place raw almonds on another cookie sheet. Toast the almonds until they change color just slightly. Remove and place almonds into a food processor. Process almonds until they are finely ground.
Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees.
Cream butter, sugar and cinnamon together in a large mixing bowl. Add the flour and finely ground almonds and continue mixing. The dough will be very crumbly!
Place a sheet of waxed paper on a cutting board or other flat work surface. Press the dough together to form a ball. Then press the dough onto the waxed paper. Carefully flatten it down to about 1/2 inch. Use a cookie cutter to cut out the cookies.
Use a small spatula to carefully move the cookies from the waxed paper to a cookie sheet for baking because the dough is very dry and flakey.
Bake cookies on ungreased cookie sheet for 25-30 minutes at 250 degrees. Remove cookie sheet from oven and allow cookies to cool completely before removing them. Take special care not to break them.
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Guide's Response to User Reviews
"The oven temp of 250F is correct. The dough is very crumbly & difficult to work with. Spritz with water if absolutely necessary, since adding egg will change the texture. Use only 3/4 cup granulated sugar in recipe. Our photo is not dusted with powdered sugar - although you can dust them if desired." - Tony & Lisa Sierra, Guides to Spanish Food
