Iced Vanilla Almond Sugar Cookies
Makes 3 dozen
Inspired by Bon Appetit
1 cup flour
1/4 cup almond flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
2 egg yolks
Whisk together flour, almond flour and salt in a medium bowl. Cream together butter, sugar, extracts, and the seeds from the vanilla bean in a larger bowl until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks and beat until just incorporated. Add flour and mix until combined. Pat dough into a round, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for several hours (or up to two days).
When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out the dough to about 1/4-inch thick and using a 1 1/2-inch cutter, stamp out as many rounds as you can. Re-roll the scraps until all the cookies have been cut. Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until the tops are set and the bottom is slightly browned. Let cool completely before icing.
Almond Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon cream, more if needed
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl until smooth and spreadable, adding cream by the teaspoon if necessary. Transfer to zip lock bag, releasing out the extra air as you seal, then snip off a tiny corner of the bag and drizzle over the cookies. Garnish with coarse sanding sugar. Store in an airtight container between waxed paper.