Almond Frangipane Cookies

I was meeting a friend recently and wanted to bring cookies to share. This isn’t uncommon, but I am still having to balance the heat of our home and my desire to bake. It’s always quite a dilemma! I looked at a couple of recipes, which all required a trip to the grocery store. I kept looking and found these, and since I have a well-stocked pantry, I had all of the ingredients I needed! The original recipe called for sliced almonds, and I had slivered almonds, which are close enough! You use them to top the cookies so that’s flexible.

To save slaving away in a house that was too warm, I made the frangipane one evening and then made and baked the cookies the next morning. Since I wasn’t using the frangipane right away, I stored it in the refrigerator. It made it easier to shape, which was helpful. The cookies are not complex to make, but they are certainly a large cookie, dividing the dough to make twenty cookies. I flattened the cookies slightly and then made the indentation/thumbprint and that was easier to work with. Once I shaped the frangipane, it fit right into the indentations in the cookie.

I have seen these cookies with a couple of different names, some of which don’t seem right, but these cookies are the ultimate almond cookie. They are a crunchy almond cookie with a soft almond frangipane filling, topped with crunchy slivered almonds. These contain a beautiful amount of almond flavor, and I have to say that these have become a favorite!

Almond Frangipane Cookies
42 grams butter, melted
66 grams sugar
1 egg yolk
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon almond extract
40 grams ground almonds
42 grams flour
Pinch of salt

219 grams flour
54 grams ground almonds
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
168 grams butter, room temperature
165 grams brown sugar
50 grams sugar
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
Slivered/sliced almonds, for topping
Powdered sugar, for topping

Make the frangipane: in a medium bowl, whisk together the butter, sugar, egg yolk, vanilla and almond extract. Add the ground almonds, flour, and salt, stirring to combine. Set aside (or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed).

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a large mixer bowl, add the butter, brown sugar, and sugar. Beat on medium until light. Add the egg yolks, vanilla, and almond extract and stir on medium to combine. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just combined.

Divide the dough into 20 portions. Roll each portion of dough into a ball and flatten the dough slightly with the palm of your hand. Place 6-8 cookies per baking sheet and using a teaspoon or similar implement, make an indentation in the top of each cookie.

Shape about 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of the frangipane into a ball and then flatten it slightly. Place the frangipane into the indentation in top of the dough. Top with a couple of slivered/sliced almonds.

Bake for 12-14 minutes, until light golden brown. If needed, once the cookies are removed from the oven, use a small metal spatula to reshape the cookies into neat circles. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Before serving, dust the cookies with powdered sugar.

Recipe from In Bloom Bakery