Almond Glazed Sugar Cookies

Almond Glazed Sugar Cookies
By: Pam Cheney

Cookies:
1 cup butter, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt

Glaze:
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
4-5 teaspoons water
Sliced almonds

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine butter, sugar and almond extract in a large mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping down sides often, until creamy (1-2 minutes). Reduce speed to low, add all remaining Cookie ingredients. Beat until well mixed (1-2 minutes).

Roll dough into 1” balls. Place 2” apart on parchment covered baking sheets. Flatten balls to ¼” thickness with the bottom of buttered glass dipped in sugar. Bake for 7-9 minutes or until edges are very lightly browned. Cool 1 minutes; remove from cookie sheets and cool completely on wire racks.

Stir together glaze ingredients in small bowl, with a wire whisk. Decorate cookies with glaze and sliced almonds. Glaze sets up quickly, so frost and decorate a few at a time.

Makes 3 dozen cookies