with a long-ago sound of crackling sugar edges
Ingredients
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar, plus more for sprinkling
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup almonds, finely ground
4 1/2 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
Instructions
- Using a hand mixer or the paddle attachment of a standing mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the eggs one by one. Mix in the vanilla.
- In a separate bowl sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and the nutmeg. Stir in the ground almonds.
- With the mixer on slow, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet until thoroughly incorporated. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or bakers’ Silpat.
- Drop the dough by rounded tablespoons onto the sheets, spacing them 1 1/2 inches apart as the cookies will spread while baking. Sprinkle lightly with sugar. Bake until thin, lace-like, and golden-brown, about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely as cookies will need to harden before dipping.
- When the cookies are cool, melt the milk chocolate with the remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Dip half of each cookie in the warm chocolate and set to dry on parchment paper.
Quantity: about 30 cookies