Who’s got Valentine’s gifts on the brain?  When you think about the people you love, it’s important to think about the things that they love.  Who you love, what they love; got it?  Good.

One of the people I love is my dad.  One of the things he loves is Jordan almonds.  He’s passed this love on to me, and we both know exactly what to look for in a good Jordan almond – thick but slightly soft shell on a crunchy almond – and where to look for them – the “foreign” section of grocery stores, specialty markets, and the occasional wedding.

My dad also likes gum. He particularly enjoys those huge gum balls that give you a headache within a minute of popping them into your mouth.  And since I like my dad – and particularly like the fact that he doesn’t have to come live with us so we can puree all of his meals in a blender – I’d like to keep his jaw intact.  So when Oh!Nuts offered to send me some Valentine Jordan Almonds, I tried to think of a way to serve them that didn’t involve chomping.

Jordan Almond Cookies, makes 36 cookies

{loosely adopted from Nestle’s chocolate chip cookie recipe}

• 1 cup Jordan almonds
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1.5 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour

1. Preheat oven to 350*.  Prepare baking sheets with cooking spray.
2. Pour Jordan almonds into the bowl of your food processor and process for 1 minute.  Pick out any large chunks that remain and set processed almonds aside.
3. In a large bowl, use a mixer to cream together butter and sugars.
4. Beat in egg and almond extract.
5. Stir flour, salt, and baking powder into the dough.
6. Fold processed almond into the dough.
7. Roll scant Tbsp-sized pieces of dough into balls and place in evenly spaced rows on prepared baking sheets.
8. Bake 12 – 14 minutes.  Cookies will not brown, but the tops should become slightly firm to the touch.

Dad, a package is in the mail for you, be on the lookout.  I love you guys!

I used Oh!Nuts Valentine Jordan Almonds for this recipe.  Jordan almonds were provided to me free of charge.