I’ve kept this recipe among my many “to-bake” ideas for a long time. When I finally read the fine print I discovered it came from an old Hallmark Magazine, December 2009. Clearly I enjoy collecting recipes and returning to the ones that catch my eye.
This version credits Tina Stamos of Kansas. I’m glad I finally tried it—Tina created a lovely almond-filled cookie that’s both simple and impressive.
I began making these on a busy day, but decided to keep going anyway. The process turned out to be forgiving—easy to pause and resume as needed.
Although the dough is usually chilled in the refrigerator for one hour, I wrapped the dough disks tightly and froze them instead. That worked perfectly and made it easy to finish the cookies weeks later when time allowed.
When it came time to bake, I thawed the dough and prepared the almond filling. The filling is wonderfully straightforward—almond paste smoothed with a little heavy cream. Rich, nutty, and just the right texture for sandwiching between tender cookie rounds.
Assembly is quick and satisfying. These cookies are fun to make, and I can imagine a child enjoying the task of filling and sealing them. My eight-year-old granddaughter, Sophia, would love helping—this is a great recipe to share with family when you want a hands-on baking project.
These almond cookies—sometimes called Almontinas—are both attractive and delicious. The tender, slightly crisp rounds, the creamy almond paste center and the sliced almond garnish combine for a classic flavor and pleasing presentation. I wouldn’t change a thing, though the original recipe does offer a few simple variations if you’d like to experiment.
- Chocolate-flecked Almontinas – stir 1/4 cup of mini chocolate chips into the almond filling for a touch of chocolate in every bite.
- Lemon-glazed poppy Almontinas – add 2 teaspoons poppy seeds to the filling, omit the sliced almonds and powdered sugar, and drizzle each cookie with a lemon glaze made from 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
The Almontina
Servings: Makes about 3 dozen filled cookies
Author: Rosemary Stelmach
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature (1 stick / 8 tablespoons)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Filling & topping
- 1/2 cup almond paste
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons milk (for sealing)
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream the butter with the granulated and brown sugars until light. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
- Sift together the flour and baking soda, then blend into the butter mixture until a dough forms. Divide the dough and shape it into two disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour (or wrap and freeze for longer storage; thaw before rolling).
- Meanwhile, make the almond filling. Use a fork to mash and blend the almond paste with the heavy cream until smooth. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). On a lightly floured surface, roll one disk of dough to about 1/8-inch thickness. Use a 1 1/2-inch round cutter to cut out an even number of rounds.
- Arrange half of the rounds on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place about 1/4 teaspoon of almond filling in the center of each. Brush the edge of each filled round lightly with milk, top with another round and gently press to seal the edges with your fingertip.
- Press two sliced almonds on top of each cookie. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are just golden. Cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.
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More homemade cookie ideas…
