The last time I visited Bourgogne, I was served a thin, delicately flavored cookie as part of my café gourmand. I was so impressed with the cookie’s crisp, tender crumb and subtle citrus aroma, that I vowed to recreate a similiar cookie once I returned home to the Netherlands. This was not the first time one of my recipes was inspired by something I ate at a restaurant; eating out in France is always a great source of inspiration.
NOTE: Though the cookies are sweet, they pair beautifully with a cheese board.
Makes: Approximately 40 cookies
- 200g sugar
- 200g butter, softened
- 1 egg, lightly whisked
- 150g all-purpose flour
- 70g ground almonds
- 1 ½ tsp dried thyme
- zest of 2 small organic oranges
Preheat oven to 180°C, and line a baking sheet with baking paper. Cream the butter and sugar with a handheld mixer or standing mixer. Add the egg and continue beating. Beat in the flour, ground almonds, thyme and orange zest. Take small teaspoonfuls of the dough and form them into fat, little discs. It helps if you do this with moistened hands. Place on the prepared baking sheet about 3 cm apart and bake for 10-12 minutes. Keep on eye on them. The edges should be lightly browned, but not too dark. Carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool. The cookies will be quite soft when they come out of the oven but will crisp while cooling.