I Fall to Pieces

I recently entered these cookies in a bake-off contest on LA Times online. Below is my entry...I should mention, I did discuss with my mom prior to posting. My mom is a wonderful cook and taught me everything I know...so in no way am I mocking her skills. Anyone that cooks and bakes, even the pros, knows that mistakes are made....sometimes to very positive results! Thanks Mom! Love You!

Almond Crescents (aka "The Crumbly Cookies")

For as long as I can remember, my mom has made “The Crumbly Cookies” every Christmas. She got the recipe from a friend. The cookies were delicious, but extremely delicate. They would fall apart in your hands when you pulled them out of the cookie tin she stored them in. The cookies melted in your mouth and tasted like almonds.

It wasn’t until I turned 10 years old that my sister and I discovered “The Crumbly Cookies” (our nickname for them) were really Almond Crescents. Why were they so crumbly? This mystery went unsolved until the year 2000!

It seems since everyone loved the cookies so much, my mom would double the recipe so we would have more to go around...or at least she thought she was doubling the recipe. For years, she was only doubling the butter! Even though my mom has corrected her mistake, we still call them “The Crumbly Cookies.” Her handwritten recipe now has all of the doubling instructions in parentheses, which is what I have included here. Make a double batch and enjoy!

* Directions for doubling the batch are in parentheses

7/8 cups of butter (3 1/2 sticks)

1/3 cup sugar (2/3 cup)

1/2 cup ground almonds (1 cup)

1 3/4 cup flour (3 1/2 cup)

2 tsp vanilla (4 tsp)

Be sure to set aside some extra granulated sugar to roll the cookies in after baking.

Directions: Cream butter and sugar. Add ground almonds, vanilla and flour. Store in refrigerator for 1 hour. Break off and roll small pieces of dough about the size of your little finger, bending slightly for crescent shape. Place rolled dough pieces on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes until golden brown on edges. Remove from baking sheet and roll in granulated sugar to coat thoroughly.