Almond-Choco Cookies

Christmas without cookies 🍪 is incomplete, and freshly home baked cookies is what makes the home smells so festive. Whether baking them for the family or gifting them, home baked cookies bring so much joy and satisfaction. Diwali and Christmas are two of my favourite festivals that I love to celebrate to the fullest.Winters, Christmas, cakes, cookies, celebration, oh What a great time of the year!! Well with this recipe, I am starting my Christmas 🎅🎄 special series. Hope you like it. 

These cookies, as the name suggests, have the goodness and the richness of almonds . They add a beautiful sweetness and taste. And chocolate, who on Earth doesn't like chocolate cookies?! I have also used "cut out method" to shape the cookies (for a cleaner look) and with a slight difference, they came out perfect, a little crispier than the molded ones. You will also notice in the recipe that I have used cream instead of butter, Reason?- it makes softer cookies. Crispy outside and soft inside, these cookies make a great gift for your friends and family! So go-ahead and prepare these delicious cookies.  Happy holidays, enjoy the food to the fullest and for a while forget to cook the natural way 😉! hahaha!

You need

1 and 3/4 cup all purpose flour (maida)

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup almond meal

1/4 cup coco powder

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup fresh cream 

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Few almonds (cut in halves) for garnishing

Method

1. Preheat oven at 150 C.

2. In a bowl, mix all the dry ingredients well.

3. Add vanilla and cream. Mix together into a crumbled dough. Gather the dough into a ball and wrap it in a plastic bag. Refrigerate the cookie dough for 1-2 hours.

4. Now either make 12-15 balls, flatten them into 1/2 inch thick cookies. Press an almond on top. Place them on a greased baking sheet, about an inch apart and bake for 8-10 minutes. Let them cool completely on a wire rack.

                                                                               Or

Roll the dough 1/4 thick, cut out desired shaped cookies. Press an almond on top. Place them on a greased baking sheet, about an 1/2 an inch apart and bake for 5-6 minutes.  Let them cool completely on a wire rack.

Enjoy with milk, coffee or tea!

Makes 12-15 (hand-formed cookies)

Makes 2 dozen (cut-out cookies)