Italian Almond Cookies

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. It will be sort of sandy, and won’t want to stick together. Don’t worry, it’ll come together when you roll it out.

Roll it out on a floured work surface. I roll it very thin, using bamboo skewers to guide my rolling pin. That way they’re all the same thickness.

Cut them close together–you don’t want a lot of wasted dough, because the more you work with this soft dough, the more flour becomes incorporated into it and the tougher it gets. The least amount of handling is best.

Cut into whatever shape you like best. I like squares. And stars.

Bake at 350F / 160 C for 10-12 minutes. I set a timer for 11 minutes, then watch them. You want them beige, not brown. Barely colored.

Remove from oven and cool on wire racks. I bake them on silpats, which I just slide off the baking sheet onto my counter top, and let them cool there for a minute or two before I transfer them to a rack. They’re less likely to break.

Yield: 5 dozen 1 3/4 inch square cookies.