Easy Almond Cookies

I bake right through the heat of summer, because I love the routines of baking and I love to eat and share the results of my endeavors. But there’s special pleasure in the return of autumn weather, which is increasingly evident in my part of North Carolina, day by day. Today’s the official First Day of Fall, so I’m celebrating with these wonderful little almond cookies, which you can make and bake, or make into cookie dough and freeze for sudden baking urges.

You can make these using a hand-held electric mixer, or stir them up with a big spoon. For stand mixers, make a double batch, since this basic recipe won’t really fill that mighty bowl. And there’s simply no such thing as Too Many Almond Cookies.

This batch shows off handsome whole almonds. I love using a little pile of thinly sliced almonds pressed into each cookie, or switching nuts and topping them with pecan halves, in which case I use vanilla instead of almond extract. And if tree nuts aren’t your friend, consider raisins, currants, or candied ginger, also known as crytallized ginger, with vanilla or rosewater as the flavoring. You can shape this cookie dough into little balls as I did for these photos, or form it into a log, chill or freeze till very firm and cold, and then slice into thick or thin rounds. Adjust time accordingly: Thinner cookies cook faster than thick ones.

Note that I call for a combination of butter and shortening or margarine, which delivers that distinctive texture. You could use all butter or all shortening and still have a great little cookie. Use whole almonds or thinly sliced almonds, pressed onto each cookie for a handsome and crunchy finishing touch. For a change of flavors, use vanilla instead of almond extract, and pecan halves instead of almonds. This recipe can be doubled, and it’s a great one to keep in the freezer for sudden cookie cravings.