posted by Linda in MO 11-10-101 7:42 AM
Giant Almond Crumb Cookie
"Serve a giant almond crumb cookie as a tasty and unusual finish to an informal dinner: Let each guest break off a piece, and serve with fresh cherries or another seasonal fruit."
12 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temp, plus more for pan
1 1/2 cups finely ground blanched almonds
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350º. Butter a 10-inch springform pan; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk almonds, flour, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter until mixture is crumbly. Work in butter until completely incorporated with no dry crumbs. Squeeze mixture to create pea-size-to-1-inch clumps.
Transfer all but 1 1/2 cups of mixture to pan. Press mixture into pan to compress dough. Sprinkle with reserved 1 1/2 cups of mixture, transfer to oven.
Bake, rotating pan two to three times, until cookie begins to turn golden, about 25 minutes. Reduce temperature to 300º; bake until golden brown and fairly dry, about 15 to 20 minutes more. (Baking instructions from another source: Bake until cookie begins to turn golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Lower heat to 300 degrees, and bake until golden brown and fairly dry, about 10 more minutes.) Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Remove from pan. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Note: This recipe shows that it freezes well, easy and travels well.
Source: Martha Stewart's Holiday Cookies magazine, 2001