Marzipan-Stuffed Almond Sugar Cookies
Deliciously soft almond-flavored sugar cookies are stuffed with pockets of marzipan, lightly scented with orange blossom water for a unique flavor.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (8 1/2 ounces or 240 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces or 70 grams) almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (2 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 8 ounces almond paste
- 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar, plus more as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon orange blossom water (optional)
- 1 cup sliced almonds, lightly crushed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a bowl, whisk together flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
- Combing sugar, brown sugar, and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl; smoosh and blend with a large rubber spatula until uniform and paste-like.
- Add melted butter and oil and stir until smooth.
- Add egg and extracts and stir until smooth and shiny.
- Pour in dry ingredients and fold until just incorporated and no dry ingredients remain. The dough will be fairly soft, but still workable as it’s definitely more oily than sticky. Still, if it seems much too sticky to work with, you can chill it for 20 to 30 minutes to stiffen it up a bit.
- To make filling, knead together almond paste, corn syrup, powdered sugar, and orange blossom water until smooth, using a light dusting of powdered sugar to prevent the paste from sticking.
- Form into 3/4-inch diameter balls (about 1/2 teaspoon worth or 5 grams each), then flatten slightly into a 1-inch diameter disk.
- Spoon dough by the tablespoonful. Split in half and slightly flatten in the palm of your hand. Place one almond paste disk in the center, and top with other half of dough. Seal edges and smooth into a flattened ball shape.
- Press into crushed almonds until fully coated, then arrange on prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches of space between cookies.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until tops are puffed and edges are lightly golden brown.
- Let cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Repeat with remaining dough. Cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days.