Spicy Orange Pepper Almond Cookies

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.