Chocolate Almond Sp-icebox Cookies

 

Chocolate Almond Sp-icebox Cookies (Source: Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2006 ed.), pg. 126.

Here's a nice cookie for Christmas. It is loaded with spices but not overly spicy in taste. You can make the dough and freeze it ahead of time if you prefer which is what I did. The cookies are crisp but when you bite into them, they are softer than you'd expect. The texture is similar to shortbread.

I should have taken more time with forming the dough. My cookies are uneven but that does not affect the taste.

 1 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. instant espresso or instant coffee
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ginger
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. cloves
1/8 tsp. allspice
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. dry mustard
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1/4 lb. (1 stick) sweet butter (softened)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 1/2 oz. thinly sliced almonds (blanched or unblanced)

Sift together the dry ingredients and set aside. 

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler (or microwave) and allow to cool.

Cream the butter. Add the sugar and mix well -

Add the egg - 

Add the melted chocolate -

Add the sifted dry ingredients, scraping the bowl and beaters as needed -

 

 

Stir in the almonds -

 

Form the dough into an oblong strip about 12 inches long and 2 1/2 inches wide. Wrap in wax paper and freeze for several hours until firm. You can also freeze it and make it later -

 

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375.  Line a cookie sheet. Slice the cookies about 1/4 inch thick (let the dough thaw a little for best results). Place the cookies 1 inch apart on the pan.

Bake 10-11 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool. Store in an airtight container.