Almond melt in your mouth cookies

I usually bake cookies every other week to keep in the treat jar on my counter top. I try to stay away from commercially bought cookies for the kids as much as possible; first of all I know what goes into them and second of all no store bought cookie will beat the taste of these home made delicacies.

These cookies are so easy to make and are a big success with my family, co-workers and neighbors. They melt in you mouth and can be made with any kind of nuts you happen to like; i've made them with pecans before and with peanuts and both times they didn't disappoint. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 stick of butter (room temperature)
1 egg
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (or orange)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup finely chopped almonds

Directions:

1. Pan roast whole almonds (with skin) so they can release their nutty flavor and this makes any kind of nuts taste better (especially peanuts) and chop them finely in the food processor. you can skip this step if you have store bought chopped nuts and use them straight from the bag.

2. Cream the butter and sugar until smooth, add zest, vanilla, egg and mix very well until all ingredients are combined

3. Add the flour and mix until combined then the chopped nuts and mix the dough until smooth.

4. form one big ball with your hands, wrap it in plastic foil and refregirate for 30 minutes.

5. form walnut sized balls and bake in a 350 F oven for 10-15 minutes or until bottom is golden brown.

6. Let stand for 15 minutes and then roll in powdered sugar.

These cookies taste so much better the next day if they can survive that long!!