Orange Almond Cookies

(written by Michelle)
Recently, I reunited with a childhood friend on Facebook. When we were young, Becky and I were inseparable, so catching up with her online has brought back quite a few fond memories. Becky told me that she checked out my blog in search of some cookie recipes and found that I only had the recipe for Fudgy Cocoa Brownies to offer her sweet tooth.

Gasp!It occurred to me that I had yet to transfer a cookie recipe I had posted to my personal blog back in July, so in honor of old friends, here's my recipe for Orange Almond Cookies, adapted from a recipe for Orange Poppy Seed Cookies on Simply Recipes.

Orange Almond Cookies (makes about 2 dozen cookies)(adapted from Simply Recipes)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature1 large brown egg, at room temperature1 tablespoon orange zest1
1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking sodaPinch of kosher salt
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toastedPreheat oven to 350°F. While the oven is preheating, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and orange zest.
Beat for 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl part way through to ensure even mixing.In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until just combined. Fold in the toasted almonds.Place heaping teaspoonfuls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, allowing the cookies ample space, as they will spread as they bake.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies just begin to turn golden around the edges. Remove from the oven. Let sit on the baking sheet for 1-2 minutes so the cookies can solidify a bit, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.