Almond & Chocolate Chip Cookie

Makes 36

·        2 cups all-purpose flour

·        1 tsp baking soda

·        1 tsp salt

·        7 oz almond paste*

·        1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, softened

·        1 cup granulated sugar

·        ¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

·        2 large eggs

·        ½ tsp vanilla extract

·        2 cups dark chocolate chips

·        1 cup sliced almonds, toasted

·        1 tsp coarse sea salt 

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Farenheit.  Take our 4 ungreased cookie sheets. 

1. Toast almond slices for 3-5 minutes, remove and set aside.

2. Whisk flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.  Set aside.

3. Beat almond paste, butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in mixing bowl until combined.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well between each.  Mix in vanilla extract.

4.  Add flour mixture, chocolate chips and almonds.  Beat until well combined.  Drop by rounded tablespoons onto baking sheets.  Sprinkle with coarse sea salt.

5. Bake 9-11 minutes or until golden brown.  Place cookie sheets on wire racks and let the cookies set and cool completely.


*For homemade almond paste:

Makes 1 1/3 cups (13 oz.) almond paste. 

• 1 1/2 cups whole blanched almonds, or almond flour 
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
• 1 large egg white (lightly beaten, at room temperature)
• 1. Place the whole blanched almonds and 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar in a large, 7-cup food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process the nuts and sugar until the nuts are very finely ground, stopping periodically to scrape the sides of the processor bowl. The sugar will help prevent the nuts from turning into almond butter, but still be careful about over-processing.
• 2. Once the almonds are very finely ground, add the rest of the powdered sugar and pulse until it is completely mixed into the ground almonds.

• 3. Stop the processor and add the egg white.
• 4. Turn the processor back on and process the almond paste until it comes together in a clump in the food processor.
• 5. If it seems very sticky, add a little more powdered sugar, a spoonful at a time, until it is smooth.
• 6. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then store it in a zip-top bag. 
• Wrapped this way, the almond paste can be kept for up to 3 months in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer. Make sure to bring the almond paste to room temperature before using it in recipes.