Recipe

These Cute Almond Cookies Are an Easy Gift for Any Occasion

By Vivien Zhu at University of Oxford

We've all had that last minute panic when you realise it's your friend's birthday tomorrow: you're broke and you need a quick and easy gift to make that still shows you care (and that you absolutely DID NOT forget their birthday up until a few hours ago). This almond cookie recipe fits the bill perfectly - tasty, cute, homemade and can be whipped up in less than an hour. As long as you package it up right, no one will be able to tell that this was a last minute, panic bake (hopefully)!

Easy Almond Cookies

  • Prep Time: 40 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hr
  • Servings: 16
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 1 cup plain/cake flour
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg
  • 2 drops almond essence or vanilla essence if you don't want an overly almond taste
  • Whole almonds for decoration

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Step 1

Cream the softened butter and sugar together in a bowl until the mixture is well combined and pale.

Vivien Zhu

Step 2

Add the vanilla extract and the egg and mix.

Step 3

Sift in the flour and baking soda and mix well. The mixture will start to thicken and form a dough.

Vivien Zhu

Step 4

Grasp the mixture together in your hands and form into a ball of dough. Cover it in clingfilm/plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for 30 mins.

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Step 5

Preheat the oven to 325° F (or 165° C) and line a baking tray with baking paper or foil.

Step 6

Divide the dough into small sections and roll each section into small balls (about the size of a table tennis ball). Put the dough balls onto the baking tray, spaced evenly apart.

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Step 7

Place a whole almond on top of each ball and press down to flatten the dough slightly.

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Step 8

Place the tray in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until the cookies are golden brown/browned to your liking.

Vivien Zhu