Robin McGraw's Almond Cookies

Last year, when I was obsessed with watching Rachel Ray EVERY DAY, Robin McGraw was on right before Christmas. She was showing how to make these fabulous almond cookies that looked so yummy and so simple... This year I actually tried them and they are both so yummy and so simple. They remind me a lot of a cookie that my mom used to make at Christmas all the time. The cooking time is very long, so make sure that you have a lot of time to be waiting around while you are making these! :)


Robin McGraw's Almond Cookies
(recipe found at www.rachaelrayshow.com)

1 pound (4 sticks margarine, softened)
1 cup granulated sugar
3-4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup blanched slice almonds, finely chopped
3 1/2-4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 250. In a mixing bowl, thoroughly combine margarine, sugar, vanilla extract and chopped almonds using a rubber spatula. Fold in the flour - you want the dough to be dense enough to handle with your hands. Sometimes it will take more flour to make this happen, so start with 3 1/2 cups and add flour as necessary. (It took me the whole 4 cups.)

Roll spoonfuls of dough into balls about the size of a small walnut and arrange them on a cookie sheet. Transfer to the oven and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until the cookies are no longer doughy and are cooked through. (You can put them pretty close together - I fit about 30 on each of my cookie sheets.)

Remove the cookies from the oven and, while still hot, roll and toss around in a bowl with the powdered sugar. Once coated, allow to cool.