Pumpkin & Almond Spice Filled Cookies

I went on the train yesterday. I have always loved trains for as long as I can remember. Or any kind of vehicle on the road really. Its the feeling of going somewhere. Of watching all the other vehicles zip by. I am always fascinated by how all the other vehicles seem to magically become so small and tiny like toys. The landscape in Holland is so beautiful and so different from what I am used to from India and America. I remember my first trip to the US. I was staying at a friends cousins house in Long Island. I was only 18 and we used to drive into Manhattan every other day. I remember being so wide eyed. I couldn’t get enough of what in my opinion, is a city like no other. You would not hear a word from my mouth the entire drive as I greedily drunk in all and everything around me with my eyes. It was all so concrete and so exciting.

In sharp contrast, is the Dutch landscape. There are no ups and downs or rolling hills or concrete jungles. The landscape here is as flat as a pancake can be. But that also brings the ability to look for miles ahead. The gorgeous green spotted with the cutest black and white cows and sheep. And the sky’s, oh the sky’s are like nowhere else in the world. Colors you usually never see in the sky. Whenever I look up to this day I am amazed at the beauty of them. It is not for no reason that the Dutch produced so many artists.

And, trains I care for especially. Going through the landscape like a worm on fire! The rhythmic clatter of the rails and the quiet swinging back and forth. Its the most calming thing in the world and even in my saddest moods, very uplifting.

This is somewhat a traditional cookie in Holland and pretty popular this time of the year. It is so deliciously crunchy on the outside and wonderfully yummy on the inside. If you want to make your own almond spice paste (unless you can get at your store like we can here in Holland), plan ahead because it does need to sit in the refrigerator for about a week to ripen. I love making everything from scratch, but if you don’t want to or are short on time, then store bought is equally good.

I and baby girl love our cookies slightly darker but I fixed the recipe so yours won’t be! They are simple to make and ridiculously good in taste and texture. Try them today!

Pumpkin & Almond Spice Filled Cookies

 

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Adapted from Foodies magazine.

Author: boxofspice

Ingredients

• Almond Spice Paste
• 1 lemon
• 250 grams almonds without the skin
• 250 grams sugar
• 1 egg, whisked
• 
  
• Cookie Dough
• 200 grams cold butter
• 250 grams all purpose flour
• 125 grams light brown sugar
• 2 tbsps pumpkin spice mixture
• 1 egg
• 150 grams almond spice paste
• 1 tbsp milk
• pinch of salt
• handful of almonds (without skin) for decoration

Instructions

1. To prepare the almond spice, wash the lemon and dry it. Grate the rind off and grind with the almonds till very fine, in your kitchen machine. Add the sugar and grind again till extremely fine. Squeeze the juice of the lemon and mix with the almond sugar. Add the whisked egg and mix till you get a smooth paste.
2. Put the almond spice paste in a clean box and let sit in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Overnight is better.
3. To prepare the cookies, preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
4. Cut the butter in blocks and knead the flour with the sugar, salt, pumpkin spice mix, half of the egg, till you get a supple dough. I did this just with my hand. So, really no need for a kitchen machine. Much more fun this way! Cover the dough with cling film and put in refrigerator for at least an hour.
5. Roll out the dough into a thin layer. Cut out the dough with a cookie cutter or like I did just with a tea cup. Put ten cookie rounds on a baking paper lined baking tray. Put a dollop of the almond spice paste in the center of all the ten cookie rounds. Cover with another layer of cookie dough. Press sides down with fork. Place an almond on the top of the cookie in the center and press down for it to hold into place.
6. Brush with the remaining egg + 1 tablespoon milk and place in oven for 15 minutes. If you like it browner like I do, you can go to 3-4 minutes more.
7. Serve with milk or Pumpkin Masala Chai or go through just heapfulls on their own! 🙂

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