Sweet Fingers

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas filled with family & friends, and lots of hugs, and an over-indulgence of good food & wine & cookies, and presents!  In a nutshell, that pretty much sums up my Christmas.  It was grand, and it was one of the best Christmases I've had in a while.  This year for the first time in years and years and years, all of us were together on my Dad's side of the family....it was the highlight of my day.  I feel so lucky & blessed to have such an amazing bunch of family and friends!  The second highlight of the day was the addition of a beautiful, shiny KitchenAid Stand Mixer to my kitchen!

If you feel like I've bombarded you with cookies over the past few weeks, I apologize.  And, you'll be thrilled to know this is my last post about cookies for 2011....and maybe for a bit into the New Year.

Apparently, I was on a bit of an almond kick with my Christmas cookies this year...Greek Almond-Anise Cookies, Orange-Almond Drops and now these almond-y, chocolate-y Sweet Fingers.  Totally unintentional, yet all really delicious.  I love these cookies because they're buttery, not too sweet (which is where the chocolate coating makes an awesome addition) and they're full of nutty, almond flavor.

Print Recipe

Sweet Fingers

(Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens Christmas Cookies, 2003)

Makes approx. 3 dozen cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped

1/2 cup almonds, finely chopped

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate, for dipping

1/2 cup shredded coconut, for garnish (optional)

1/2 cup chopped almonds, for garnish (optional)

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder & salt.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter & sugar until light and fluffy.  Add egg and almond extract, and beat until completely combined.  Mix in flour in three additions.  Fold in chocolate pieces and chopped almonds.  Refrigerate dough at least one hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Scoop a tablespoon of dough and form into a log.  Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, and bake 12 - 15 minutes, or until the bottoms of the cookies just turn golden.  Move cookies to a wire rack and cool completely.

Melt 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate in the microwave, stirring occasionally.  Lightly dip the top third of the cookie in chocolate, then sprinkle with coconut, chopped almonds or your topping of choice.

Enjoy!