Oma's Almond Cookies
Submitted by LANA
German almond cookies with fresh lemon zest, ground unblanched almonds, and a buttery crumb that shatters at first bite. Overnight chilling builds flavor and makes rolling easy.
YIELD
3 servingsPREP
8 hrsCOOK
10 minREADY
8 hrs“Oma” means grandmother in German, and these old-world almond cookies carry the kind of from-scratch charm that store-bought versions just cannot touch.
Fresh lemon zest and juice brighten the rich, buttery dough while half a pound of finely ground unblanched almonds adds a nutty depth you can smell the moment they hit the oven. The dough needs an overnight rest in the fridge, and that long chill is not just for convenience. It firms up the butter so the cookies hold their cut shapes cleanly and develops a more complex flavor.
Roll them thin, about ⅛ inch, and watch for just a hint of gold at the edges. Pull them a touch early if anything; they firm up as they cool on the rack.
Kitchen Tips
- Keep unused dough portions in the fridge while you roll and cut. Warm dough sticks, tears, and loses its shape fast.
- Unblanched almonds (skins on) give a deeper, toastier flavor than blanched. Pulse them in a food processor until fine but not oily.
- The lemon zest does real work here. Use a microplane and get only the bright yellow layer, none of the bitter white pith.
- Store in a single layer in a tin with parchment between layers. They keep well for up to two weeks.
Variations
- Swap the lemon for orange zest and juice for a warmer citrus profile.
- Press a whole blanched almond into the center of each cookie before baking for a classic German look.
- Drizzle cooled cookies with a thin lemon glaze (powdered sugar + lemon juice) for a holiday finish.
Ingredients
Directions
Cream butter and sugar in large mixer bowl of electric mixer.
Beat in eggs, one at a time.
Beat in lemon rind and juice.
Mix flour, baking powder and salt.
Stir flour mixture and ground almonds into butter mixture to make a soft dough.
Divide dough into quarters.
Refrigerate dough, wrapped in wax paper, until firm, at least 8 hours or overnight.
Heat oven to 350℉ (180℃).
Have ungreased baking sheets ready.
Roll out one dough portion on lightly floured pastry cloth with a lightly floured wax paper to ⅛ -inch thickness.
Cut out with cookie cutters.
Return dough to refrigerator if it gets too soft.
Transfer to baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between each cookie.
Sprinkle with colored sugar if desired.
Bake until very light brown at edges, 8 to 10 minutes.
Transfer to wire racks to cool.
Store in a covered tin.
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