Almonds

 

Yes, this is still about leftovers, but I’m tired of reminding myself, and everyone else, that I am still clearing out the freezer. It’s kind of fun, though, to discover things you’d forgotten about. Today it was 8 oz of the Mürbteig pastry from the Cuisinart/New York Cheesecake post, and a bag of almonds from the holdiays, both still in excellent condition (thanks to their fat, of course, and a very cold freezer). I didn’t really have a lot of time, so decided to use the pastry to make a few simple cookies. The dough is so rich and flavorful on its own that it needs little else but a simple garnish, something that almonds are perfect for. You could use these to make little sandwich cookies with buttercream or ganache, but you’d have to have the lightest possible touch, as they break under pressure. Besides, these are very good just as they are.

Tender Pastry Cookies

The fragility of these simple cookies makes them seem rather fancy. They are good on their own or with ice cream. Makes about 10 cookies.

8 oz Mürbteig pastry, very cold
2 oz whole almonds
1 oz (2 T) turbinado sugar
1 egg white
1 tea simple syrup (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325 F.

Put the sugar and the almonds in a small food processor; pulse to chop medium-fine. Set aside.

Roll the pastry out between two sheets of wax paper to a thickness of between ¼” and 1/3.” Slide onto a baking sheet and chill again. Remove the top sheet of the paper. Using a 1 ¾” fluted biscuit cutter, quickly cut the dough into rounds and lift them gently, using a narrow spatula, onto an ungreased baking sheet. Form and re-roll the scraps, chilling again if needed, and cut the remainder. Brush the tops lightly with egg white, beaten with a teaspoon or so of simple syrup if you have it. Sprinkle generously with the almond-sugar mixture. Chill 10 minutes. Bake 18-20 minutes, turning once. Don’t try to edit a paper while they are baking, or you may let them go a minute too long, as I did. Carefully remove to a rack to cool.