Message Boards

Seaborne, I have saved your recipe and subsequent notes long enough. Today is the big day when I bake them for friends' cookie gifts. We are fresh out of Amaretto, but we know where to buy it. :-) THX again for contributing so much to this forum.

Hi Wannaquilt! Thanks for letting me know. Be careful as to how long you toast them - I've been cutting down the time - so they don't get too brown. And for the last batch I made a few weeks ago, I did use all butter - no oil.
Good luck - and let me know.
Oh yes, and I'm not chopping the almonds too finely - but keeping them really chunky - or some of them even whole - I like the crunch of them better.

About the almonds, do you need to skin them. Is it best to roast them before adding to the batter? Are almonds easier to chop if they've been roasted?

Someone mentioned cutting the slices with a pizza wheel. I have more successful cuts using a chef's knife and bring it straight down to the place where I want to make the cut. In other words, I don't rock the knife.

Use almonds with the skin - roast for about 20 minutes - not too dark - then chop. I use a Cuisinart blade to chop - very coarsely, leaving many whole.
I slice with a thin serrated knife - and I saw back & forth - never cutting straight down.
I value this knife greatly and seldom use it for any other purpose.

Turns out I have not made Seaborne's recipe yet but will soon. First I tried an orange/cranberry/pistachio version from Williams Sonoma. Turned out delicious and the process was not as intimidating as I had expected. It was very easy to cut on the diagonal. Now on to other flavors, particularly Kahlua!