Almond Snickerdoodles?

I had to take a break from my computer this afternoon and make some cookies. Just had a compulsion to do this...

So I was thinking about sugar cookies, then thought of almond cookies, and then about what ingredients I actually had on hand...

In the end I made a favorite Snickerdoodle recipe (sugar cookies rolled in cinnamon and sugar) except that I added a cup of chopped almonds to the dough, and substituted almond extract for the vanilla.

Other than that, the only change I made was to add a bit of nutmeg to the cinnamon sugar mixture that I rolled 'em in.

I'd say it is a hit, ladies. Give it a try. And, if you don't already have access to a "Snickerdoodle Cookie" recipe, let me know. I can post mine here.

Gotta tell ya, these sound sinfully yummie!

They ARE, Jabber. And pretty easy to make, too.

As background, I have an almond cookie recipe that I make at Christmas time. It is a family heirloom, and I have never seen it anywhere, in any published cookbook, even those that have sections on ethic Christmas cookies.

This family Christmas cookie is probably from Germany. It's called "Mondel Schnitzen," and basically it is a sugar cookie base, topped with chopped blanched almonds, and then topped again with a butter crumb mixture, which is essentially the cookie base, minus the eggs. For a bit of color and extra flavor, my mother altered the recipe to sprinkle nutmeg on top of all.

These are fabulous cookies and everyone who tries them (assuming they like almonds) loves them. But, honestly, they take all day to make, so I only make them once a year.

Happily, my "almond snickerdoodle" recipe pretty much duplicates the taste of the family heirloom - and yet didn't take much more than an hour to mix up and bake.

So, as I said, I'm pretty happy with my experiment...