Galletas de Almendras
Reprinted with permission from Provecho: 100 Vegan Mexican Recipes to Celebrate Culture and Community by Edgar Castrejón, copyright © 2021. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
Food photographs and portrait copyright © 2021 by Edgar Castrejón
“Whenever I think about these almond cookies, I think of my Aunt Chely,” says Edgar Castrejón in the cookbook, Provecho: 100 Vegan Mexican Recipes to Celebrate Culture and Community. “Galletas de almendras were a fixture at the start of Advent (the weeks leading up to Christmas), and I recall waking up during that time to the aroma of her crushing almonds in the kitchen. This was the only thing that she’d let me help her with, and she’s the reason I love baking. My gluten-free version here is a tribute to her original recipe. It’s not just the memories that put me in the holiday mood. The powdered sugar on top of the cookies evokes snowy winters. Now, I dust confectioners’ sugar through my grandma’s doilies to make patterns on the cookies. She crocheted them for me to use on my future dining table. That touch makes them extra-special, but the cookies are still pretty without the doily patterns.”
How to Make It
1
Place the almonds in a high-powered blender or food processor and pulse until slightly irregular pieces, double the size of rice grains, form. (Alternatively, chop finely with a knife.) Transfer to a large bowl, then, using a fine-mesh sieve, sift in the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
2
In a medium bowl, combine the cane sugar and coconut oil and beat with a fork until blended thoroughly. Add the plant-based milk and beat until the ingredients are uniformly combined. Transfer to the large bowl and use a spoon to mix into the dry ingredients until evenly combined and doughy enough to knead with clean hands.
3
Form the dough into one large ball, then place in a bowl or container, cover, and refrigerate at least 6 hours (or up to overnight, for best results).
4
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
5
Remove the dough ball from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Dust a work surface with flour and then roll out the dough to about 1⁄2-inch thick. Using a 4-inch cookie cutter or a cup, stamp out rounds from the dough and transfer to the prepared baking sheets. Reroll the scraps of dough to stamp out more rounds.
6
Bake the cookies until lightly browned around the edges, about 12 minutes.
7
Remove cookies from the baking sheets and transfer to a wire rack. Let cool completely, then dust with confectioners’ sugar.
8
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 8 days.
Ingredients
1 cup whole dry-roasted almonds
2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour (such as Bob’s Red Mill), plus more for dusting
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 pinch fine sea salt
1 cup cane sugar
½ cup coconut oil, melted and cooled, or vegan butter, at room temperature
¼ cup unsweetened plant-based milk, at room temperature
confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Directions
1
Place the almonds in a high-powered blender or food processor and pulse until slightly irregular pieces, double the size of rice grains, form. (Alternatively, chop finely with a knife.) Transfer to a large bowl, then, using a fine-mesh sieve, sift in the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
2
In a medium bowl, combine the cane sugar and coconut oil and beat with a fork until blended thoroughly. Add the plant-based milk and beat until the ingredients are uniformly combined. Transfer to the large bowl and use a spoon to mix into the dry ingredients until evenly combined and doughy enough to knead with clean hands.
3
Form the dough into one large ball, then place in a bowl or container, cover, and refrigerate at least 6 hours (or up to overnight, for best results).
4
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
5
Remove the dough ball from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Dust a work surface with flour and then roll out the dough to about 1⁄2-inch thick. Using a 4-inch cookie cutter or a cup, stamp out rounds from the dough and transfer to the prepared baking sheets. Reroll the scraps of dough to stamp out more rounds.
6
Bake the cookies until lightly browned around the edges, about 12 minutes.
7
Remove cookies from the baking sheets and transfer to a wire rack. Let cool completely, then dust with confectioners’ sugar.
8
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 8 days.
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