No foolin' around with these Toffee Almond Sandies...

The sun is shining, the snow is melting and we had fresh cookies coming out of the oven today - what else could we ask for? Tuesday brings us to yet another edition of baking for the Weekly Wednesday Treat Day for Jeff's co-workers.

So what cookies did we whip up today? Toffee Almond Sandies! These pale golden rounds have an interesting mix of ingredients that produce a fairly unique and tasty cookie. The fat used for these is a combination of butter and canola oil - this mix gives them a very crisp and very buttery flavor. The granulated sugar aids in their "sandy-like" quality while the powdery confectioners' sugar allows the cookies to have that melt-in-your-mouth texture. Just like Snickerdoodles, this recipe has the smart addition of cream of tartar that brings a light and snappy bite to them that also adds a tender quality.

While a full cup of toasted chopped almonds brought a decidedly nutty crunch, that almond flavor is reinforced by a touch of pure almond extract. For a caramel note to these cookies, a couple handfuls of crunchy toffee bits are tossed in with those chopped almonds - we did use the ones that are not covered in chocolate. When the dough was combined, it was still moist, yet not enough to be sticky. The moistness came in handy when we rolled the ping pong-sized balls of dough in granulated sugar to add a bit of sparkle. Because the dough won't spread much while baking, the balls are flattened - to add some interest to the outside, you can use a fork to do this. However, after the last time we used our potato masher to press dough down, I loved the fun twist it added and decided to use it again to give these a more chunky look on top. The cookies are ready to come out of the oven when their edges just begin to turn golden - don't try to get any more color or the cookies may come out dry and too brittle.

Our dinner tonight, Gnocchi with Asparagus and Pancetta, was made a little easier when I noticed this weekend that our local natural food co-op had some prepared gnocchi in their dry pasta section. I don't know why, but I've never had much luck finding any in the stores around here - the last time I noticed they had it in stock was when we made that soup a few weeks ago!

Once we plunked the potato logs in simmering water, we chopped up a couple ounces of salty pancetta and crisped it up in a heated skillet. After the pieces had browned, we carefully removed them to a paper towel to drain while keeping as much of the flavor-packed drippings as we could behind. Mild shallots and a pound of sliced asparagus are slid into the skillet - as soon as the asparagus was tender, the pillow-y gnocchi, crisped pancetta, a little of the starchy cooking water from the gnocchi and fresh lemon juice are stirred in and allowed to heat through. The dish is finished with a few shavings of assertive Asiago cheese. If you can't find pancetta, you could substitute bacon, but I think the smoky flavor it would add might end up being a little distracting. Fresh, light and a welcome spring-like dish, I could definitely see us making this often, especially when asparagus begins to flood the local farmers market.

Recipes
Toffee Almond Sandies
Gnocchi with Asparagus and Pancetta