Nuts About Nuts.

I have recently discovered that pretty much anything is better with toasted almonds. Angel Icebox Dessert, Cherry Almond Cupcakes and Boston Cream Pie to name a few. Let me explain because this is actually quite the revelation in my case.

When I was a kid the only nuts that I liked were of the peanut variety. Yes I know, peanuts are not really considered a nut, but to a seven year old kid they are. I loved peanuts and specifically preferred them honey roasted. All other nuts to me were just those things that got in my way when I dug through the mixed nuts bowl to get to the good stuff. My mom always liked to put chopped pecans in her Chocolate Chip Cookies, which was quite a nuisance for me. In my opinion she was ruining an otherwise perfectly good batch of cookies. Sometimes, if I whined enough, she would make another batch sans nuts which was greatly appreciated.

So when I grew up and started making my own Chocolate Chip Cookies I vowed never to put nuts in them. Well look what's happened? Nuts galore! And not the peanut variety either, but my new favourite nut. The buttery, melt in your mouth toasted almond. I even paired it with deliciously nutty brown butter. What could be better?

It's an acquired taste. At least for me. I have matured. I have grown. I have evolved.

I turned your everyday household favourite cookie into something gourmet, fancy and still quite tasty. You can eat it with your pinkies out if it makes you feel any fancier.





Brown Butter Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Source: Adapted from my family recipe.

2 eggs

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup unsalted butter

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

2 1/2 cup flour

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup whole almonds, blanched, chopped and toasted

In a small sauce pan cook the butter on medium heat for about 6 ? 8 minutes until the foam subsides, the butter turns brown and you smell that delicious caramel scent. Remove it from the heat then allow it to cool and harden slightly in a bowl in the refrigerator for 15 ? 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and position a rack in the center. Line you baking sheets with parchment paper and set it aside.

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, cream together the eggs, sugars, brown butter, baking soda, salt, vanilla and almond extracts. Add the flour and combine it until it's smooth then mix in the chocolate chips and almonds. The dough will be quite thick.

Scoop a heaping tbsp of batter then roll it into a ball for each cookie and place it on the prepared baking sheet and pat them down slightly with your fingers. Bake them for 10 minutes until the edges are light golden brown. Transfer them to a cooling rack and enjoy!