Almond Flower Cookies (For about 40 cookies - Depends on your cookie cutter size)
For the cookies
400g pastry flour
4g salt
1g of vanilla powder (optional)
200g unsalted butter
100g toasted chopped almonds and/ or 100g of Corinthian raisins
100g icing sugar
30ml Almond or Vanilla essence
For decoration
200g of Marzipan (Almond paste) or Fondant (sugar paste) in the color/s of your choice
1 cookie cutter in any flower shape and size as per your choice
Some brochette picks
A brush and a small bowl of water
~15g of Corn flour or icing sugar for dusting
Note: Toasting your almonds in a small pan prior to making your cookies really enhances the latter`s taste...
Procedure
Step 1 : In your mixing bowl, add your flour, icing sugar, salt, toasted chopped almonds, Corinthian raisins (optional) and vanilla powder (optional) and mix well together. Once uniformly mixed, add butter.
Step 2: Once the butter is fully combined (uniform color), add your Almond essence then knead well until you obtain a non sticky and firm dough.
Step 3: Using your rolling pin, flatten your dough obtained from step two to a thickness of about 7mm. Then using your favourite flower cookie cutter, cut out some shapes and place them on a non-stick baking tray .. If you intend to make some cookie pops (cookie on a stick), just insert one brochette pick while ensuring that the end reach at least the center of your flower.
Step 4: Cookies are ready to be baked in a pre-heated oven at 175 Degrees Celsius for 18 minutes or until golden brown !
Step 5: Cookies out of oven - Hot hot hot ! Allow to cool on a cooling rack.
Step 6: Time for decoration ! Get your Fondant and/or Marzipan, the same cookie cutter you used in step 3, a brush and a small bowl of water for sticking the Fondant and/or Marzipan on the cookie surface.
Step 7: Using your rolling pin, flatten your Fondant and/or Marzipan to a thickness of about 2mm, just brush with a little amount of water and position it on one cookie. For the center, just roll in your hand/fingers a small ball of Marzipan/ Fondant preferably in a different color and press gently and uniformly so that it forms like a small button that will represent the flower center here. Again brush a small amout of water and stick it in the center of your flower. Repeat with the other cookies.
Tip: Dust your working space with some corn flour or icing sugar to prevent your Marzipan or Fondant to stick ..
Step 8: Cookies are ready !
Step 9: Seal them individually for increased freshness !
Voila !
Please check on the links below (DIY tutorials) to have some ideas on how you can pack your cookies in an easy and creative way ! Enjoy..
THANK YOU FOR WATCHING !...
