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Soft Almond Pillow Cookies

Almond lovers, cookie lovers, lovers of sweets that taste amazing, let me introduce you to the Soft Almond Pillow Cookies.

This one is for sure going to my top 25 recipes of 2014 list. It is hard to tell from the pictures but they are stuffed full of an almond paste mixture which tastes divine. If you love almond bear claw pastries, it is a similar sort of filling. Many thanks to The Noshery for this recipe.

My only issue came down to the dough, which I think was my own fault. I added the flour too quickly as I was mixing it, and in too large of an amount than I should’ve. This led to parts of the dough being too dry and other parts feeling too sticky/wet.  Learn from my mistakes and add the flour in small increments.

For all recipes that call for almond extract, I use Almond Bakery Emulsion by LorAnn. I love this stuff! I’ve seen them sold at Michael’s craft store and I’m sure other stores carry them as well. Lastly, as long as you properly chill the dough, these cookies don’t spread and should not have any filling leak out. Enjoy!

Soft Almond Pillow Cookies
Makes about 14 large cookies

Ingredients:

  • Cookie:
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • Filling:
  • 1 8 oz can almond paste
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons almond extract

Directions:

  1. Cream sugar and butter in a large bowl for 2 minutes. Mix in egg yolk, milk and almond extract. Blend in the flour a little at a time, until well combined and chunky. (Learn from my mistake and don’t add the flour in too large a quantity too quickly. It compromises the dough.) Cover an place in refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.
  2. Preheat oven to 350-f degrees. In a mixing bowl combine all filling ingredients. Break apart the almond paste with your hands as it is very stiff and dense. Beat until well combined and the mixture comes together. Set aside until the cookie dough has chilled and you are ready to form the cookies.
  3. Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop balls of the cookie dough. Roll and flatten the balls in the palm of your hand. Take a scant tablespoon of filling (or 5 oz) roll in a ball and place in the middle of the cookie dough. Wrap the cookie dough around the filling and roll until even. Place ball on parchment lined sheet pan and press flat with the palm of your hand or the flat bottom of a drinking glass, lightly floured. If you want clean edges use a round cookie cutter to clean the edges. Repeat with the remaining dough.
  4. Bake the cookies for 15-17 minutes. Keep an eye on the cookies you don’t want them to brown.
  5. Let cool on cookie sheet. After they have cooled, dust lightly with powdered sugar. 
Recipe from The Noshery.

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14 Comments

  1. Thank you!! for this recipe!! I have searched for almond pillow recipe after trying some from Fresh Market and falling in love! Next year we are moving away from here and no place sells these unique cookies, so I'll learn to make them from this recipe! Yay:)

    1. Enjoy Leslie 🙂 I didn't know you were moving! I'll have to check your family blog 🙂

  2. I was just making these cookies and realized you left out the baking temperature. Thanks for the link to the original recipe because it was there. The dough and filling taste amazing-I can't wait until they come out of the oven.

    1. These cookies were everything I dreamed they would be. I am a little obsessed with almond flavored stuff and these were awesome. I have some local almond ice cream in the freezer. I could have the most amazing ice cream sandwich.

  3. I would love to make these; however, only 14 cookies? Is there any way you can make them smaller, much smaller. 660 calories for one cookies, well, I guess I'm not willing to make a recipe for the first time that doesn't go very far. Believe me, I know how wonderful almond paste tastes, but it's too rich too eat that much of it. Any suggestions?

    1. Make them smaller, go for it! Use your best judgement, I cannot give you directions for smaller cookies as I've not made them.