Let’s start out with the story that made me bake these delicious cookies…
A couple of weeks ago, I was fortunate to attend the Pillsbury Bake-Off in Las Vegas, NV. Let me tell you, the whole experience was magical. It was like going to Disneyland for the first time!
If you think about it, it’s kind of fascinating how they stick one hundred ovens into one big convention center and let the finalists get to cooking. I was intrigued with the set up and couldn’t believe how cool the room stayed, despite one hundred ovens blasting away.
Smuckers sponsored my trip to Las Vegas and I was constantly overwhelmed with their kindness. Are all Ohio-ans that nice? I was fortunate enough to have dinner the first night at Jean Georges Steakhouse in the Aria with Chef Jon Ashton, who was a delight to be around.
During the competition, we got to walk the floor and taste a lot of delicious treats. I pretty much ate my way around each station and was full by the time lunch came around.
Did I mention Padma Lakschmi was the host of the Bake-Off and we got to do a meet and greet with her? Not only is she even more stunning in person, but that girl can eat! I can totally appreciate that.
Once the contestants were done with their dish, they would bring it over to the finished table, which would then be taken to the back room for the judges to try. It was a huge ordeal when someone brought over a finished dish. People would clap every time a dish was being presented. No one wants to be the one that knocked over the possible million dollar recipe, right?
I didn’t get any photos from the awards night, but the winner was Glori Spriggs with her Loaded Potato Pinwheels! Even though I was only in Vegas for about 48 hours, I couldn’t get the Bake-Off out of my mind when I came home. There were so many good recipes and even better people! I decided to make one of my favorites in my own kitchen.
These cookies have a strong almond flavor, are soft and sturdy, and remind me of cookies that you would buy from a cute little cafe. I’m all about them. The recipe can also be found on Pillsbury‘s website.
I want to say HAPPY THANKSGIVING to you all! I know you’ve heard it about a million times through Facebook statuses and Tweets, but I’m going to add more to it, anyways.
Thank YOU for sharing, visiting, and commenting on my blog. I wouldn’t be anywhere without readers! I’m thankful for my little blog that has opened up doors for me and given me opportunities that I never would have imagined before. Thank you Smuckers (Hi Kelly & Cody!) for making this memorable trip possible. Thank you voters for keeping my mac n’ cheese recipe going strong, despite the fact that I’m the David in this voting battle (The one leading the contest has 30,000 more followers on Facebook than I do, and I’m still in the game.. sort of! That’s amazing!). There’s just under 3 days left to vote!!
Be safe, eat plenty, and remember to be thankful for those working so you can have your holiday off (thank your flight attendant!).
Ingredients
- 2 packages Pillsbury® Ready to Bake!™ refrigerated sugar cookies
- 8 oz almond paste
- 2 tablespoons Smucker's® Apricot Preserves
- 1 cup Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour
- 2 egg whites
- 1 1/4 cups sliced almonds
Directions
- Heat oven to 375°F. Line large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In large bowl, break up cookie dough and almond paste. Add flour and preserves; knead until well blended and mixture forms a ball. Pat into 6x9-inch rectangle. Cut into 24 pieces.
- In small bowl, beat egg whites with fork or wire whisk until foamy. In another small bowl, place almonds.
- Shape each dough piece into ball. Flatten to 3-inch round. Dip one flat side into egg whites, coating one side only. Place coated side down onto almond slices. Lightly press to coat with almonds. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets, almond side up.
- Bake 13 to 18 minutes or until cookies are light golden brown. Cool on cookie sheets 2 minutes; remove to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 20 minutes. Store in covered container.
