Almond Chai Cookies

So I ended up making these Almond Chai cookies from the new issue of Bon Appetit. It was a strange range of thumbs-up / thumbs-down making these things. At first, definitely T-U in that the batter came together perfectly and was easy to shape. Then a taste of the batter produced more of a ?? than anything else - not much flavor. The dog seemed to enjoy it though. Then, while baking, they produced the most heavenly aroma yet. I think the scent alone would be worth making them for. Especially if you were planning on selling your house. It probably didn't hurt that I used this vanilla extract I picked up in the airport in Cancun, Mexico. I can't remember how much I paid for it, but it must have been something like $10 for a 1 liter bottle. It's perfume, aromatherapy and a cooking ingredient all in one. After baking, you roll the cookies in powdered sugar, wait for them to cool and then roll again. Naturally, John and I didn't wait for them all to cool before trying one, and I have to say the result was sort of... eh. T-D. Next day, however, something about the flavors all came together and they were a definite T-U. I do wish there had been more of a butter flavor to them though, and I think if I were to make it again I'd try to up the butter content. Maybe instead of using wheat flour, grind the almonds and make nut flour? Not sure. Anyway, here's a picture of the last one left for a visual.


Almond Chai Cookies