Almond Crescents

These gluten free cookies are rich, festive and come together in just a few minutes. They are a great cookie for any holiday and make the perfect hostess gift when dining at a friend's house. I like to make these for Easter. When my kids were younger they knew that Easter morning is one of the few days each year that I would allow them to eat chocolate and other special sweets for breakfast. Seems only fair when the Easter bunny brings us so many tasty treats!

This Easter seems more optimistic than usual, with new hope on the horizon to put this pandemic behind us and spring flowers ready to bloom. We are so lucky to have a fully vaccinated pod to share our holiday dinner and splurge on some decadent desserts. 

This is my daughter's last Easter with us before she heads off to college in the fall. Seems like only yesterday her grandparents were taking her for a springtime pony ride in Riverside Park.

Have patience when applying the flaked almonds. It may seem like they won't stick. But have faith, all will be well!

Cool the cookies completely before dipping in the melted chocolate.

Almond Crescents

Ingredients:

for the cookie dough

1-7 ounce roll of almond paste (cut into small pieces)

1c almond flour

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

1c powdered sugar

1 egg white

for the outside

1 egg white, beaten

1c semi sweet chocolate chips

1c flaked almonds

flavorless oil (like canola or avocado)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

1. In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine all the cookie dough ingredients. Blend.

The dough will be sticky.

2. Using a small scooper or two spoons, form dough into balls and roll into logs.

3. Dip each log into the beaten egg white and then roll in the flaked almonds.

Gently form into a crescent shape and place on parchment lined cookie sheets, about 2" apart.

4. Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and let the cookies rest for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.

5. Once cookies are cooled, melt the chocolate (I use the microwave) adding small drops of oil as needed to achieve a smooth consistency.

6. Dip the end of each crescent in the chocolate and place back on the parchment lined cookie sheets until the chocolate sets. Refrigerating the cookies speeds up this step. Store in an airtight container for about a week. Enjoy!