Spicy Orange Pepper Almond Cookies

These are perfect with a nice cup of tea to mitigate the chill of November. I added orange and galanga, a ginger-like spice I picked up in Thailand. The cream makes them smooth and chewy.

Spicy, nutty with a hint of orange, this is one sexy cookie.

Spicy Orange Pepper Almond Cookies*

* Adapted from Spicy Pepper Cookies recipe from The Cooks Encyclopedia of Cookies by Hillaire Walden, Barnes & Noble Books 2002

Ingredients:

1+3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon orange pepper
1/2 teaspoon galanga*
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon star anise
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks butter room temperature
1+1/3 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1+1/2 teaspoons orange zest
1/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cups whole ground almonds with skin
2 tablespoon powdered sugar
1 teaspoon ground almonds

*You can substitute ground ginger.

Directions:


Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper

Sift together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, spices, salt into a separate bowl.
Pre measure cream and almonds and set aside.
Mix the butter and brown sugar together until fluffy.
Add vanilla and orange zest. Mix throughly.
Starting and ending with the dry ingredients, alternate with cream adding in small amounts at a time.
Add ground almonds. Mix throughly.
Mold the mixture into balls, place on baking sheet and bake until slightly brown at the bottom.
While cookies are baking whisk together the powdered sugar and ground almonds.
As cookies are cooling on a wire rack, sprinkle powdered sugar/almond mixture over top.

Makes about 35 cookies.