Almond Slices

But Officer, Can I Offer You a Cookie?

I wish I had a case of these in my car today on my way home from work. Maybe it would have saved me from getting that rotten no good speeding ticket. I'm pretty ticked off right now, because it wasn't like I was alone on the road speeding like a maniac. I was driving in traffic, going with the flow. The cop said he had me on laser radar going 47 in a 30 mile per hour area.

I don't believe it. There is no way I was going 47, especially since there was a red light just a bit up the road. It's not fear. Everyone else was driving the same speed. I asked him why he was just picking on me and he said, "I'm not picking on you MA'AM, I am on traffic speed control and I had you on my radar." Yeah right, so I told him that I was just keeping up with the traffic and he said well everyone else was speeding too. Yes! So why stop just me???? I told him that his gizmo must be broken because there was no way that I was going 47. He said, "Well MA'AM, that's something you can take up in court if you wish, I can't do anything about that". I asked him to give me a break and as he went back to his patrol car I knew it was futile. He came back with my "gift" and told me he gave me a break since he only charged me with going 35mph. What a nice guy. By the way, I hate being called MA'AM!

Ok now that I got that off my chest, lets talk about something nice and sweet. In case I never mentioned it, I love Almonds. And I love these cookies. They are a new recipe that I got from my boss's wife. He brought a plate of them in for the Holiday and after one bite, I was hooked.

I feel in love with the chewy texture of these cookies. I did however change the recipe a bit. Because I like a strong almond flavor, I added extra almond extract and orange rind for a fresh kick. The final product was perfection! (If I do say so myself)

Almond Slices

2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon pure almond extract (not imitation)
1 tsp. grated fresh orange peel
3 eggs
Eggwash: 1 egg, beaten plus one teaspoon water, optional
1 1/2 cups almonds, toasted and chopped, optional
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat eggs in bowl. In separate bowl, add all dry ingredients and mix well. Add oil and beaten eggs to dry mixture. Mix well with wooden spoon.* Add almonds, if using, and mix to combine.

Form 4 loafs, placing two side by side on two parchment lined or greased baking sheets. If using egg wash, brush each loaf at this point.

Bake for 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool and slice. Decorate with drizzled chocolate and sprinkles if desired.

*Do you ever wonder why certain recipes specify what kind of spoon to use when mixing?
I wonder if it really makes a difference in the recipe if you were to use a wooden spoon, a stainless steel spoon or an electric mixture.
What do you think?