Pumpkin Spice Almond Sugar Cookies? Salted Caramel Almond Sugar Cookies? When a package of flavored almonds arrived the other day, I said, “Why the heck not”? And I’m happy with the results of my little experiment!
Salted Caramel Sugar Cookies with a Caramel Drizzle.
Every so often, PR people get in touch to ask if I’d like to get a sample of something they’re promoting. Usually, it’s not a good fit, but sometimes (as in the case of French Goat Cheeses!) it is.
I’m a big big fan.
When the Blue Diamond Almond folks reached out and asked if I’d like to try some almonds, I thought, “Sure!” And indeed, their Crafted Gourmet Almonds are kind of amazing. With their skins removed (how elegant — kind of like a marcona almond, though not quite), they’re toasted and lightly spiced with flavors that truly go well with almonds, like Garlic, Herb, and Olive Oil; Pink Himalayan Salt; and Rosemary-Olive Oil.
Bottom line: I would never recommend something I wouldn’t buy myself, and I’ll definitely by these next time I spot them at the supermarket. They cost around $8 for a 10-ounce bag. They’re very rich, so a few go a long way to add hearty intrigue to a cheese platter.
Also in the shipment were a line of almonds with sweet flavors: Salted Caramel Almonds, Pumpkin Spice Almonds, and Toasted Coconut Almonds. I was a little less excited about these — sweet isn’t what I crave when I’m eating almonds (I’m more of a salty gal myself).
But it would be very hard for me to let three cans of almonds go to waste, so I put them to good use in baking. After all, almonds and sweet flavors do go well in cookies, right?
For Pumpkin Spice Fans Only: Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies.
I scattered a few of the Salted Caramel Almonds into a batch of sugar-cookie dough. Then, I tried the same with the Pumpkin Spice Almonds. The Salted Caramel Almond Sugar Cookies were better, but that’s simply because I’m not a fan of pumpkin-spice (unless it’s pumpkin pie or pumpkin bars). If you love pumpkin spice, you’ll probably love the pumpkin-spice version.
I took both to a gathering, and they both disappeared quickly, so clearly, pumpkin spice works for plenty of people out there!
Here’s the recipe. Yes. I cheated. I used Betty Crocker’s Sugar Cookie Mix. I’m actually surprised at how good this is — that is, if your scratch-made sugar cookies are a “10,” these are easily an “8.5” (they do call on butter, after all). You need to decide what your time is worth.
Oh — as for the Toasted Coconut Almonds? I’m going to sprinkle them into my next batch of brownies.
- 1 17-5-ounce pouch Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup finely chopped Blue Diamond Salted Caramel Almonds
- 10 vanilla caramels (optional)
- 1 tablespoon milk (optional)
- Mix the sugar cookie dough according to package directions, using the butter and egg; stir in the almonds. Bake and cool as directed.
- If you wish to add the caramel drizzle, place the caramels and the milk in a small saucepan. Cook and stir over medium-low heat just until the caramels are melted. Drizzle over cookies. Cool to set caramel.
Disclosure: Blue Diamond sent me a complimentary assortment of the almonds for my review. I have not been compensated for this post in any other way. If you can’t find Blue Diamond Almonds featured here at your local supermarket, they’re available online.
This is a fun idea. How “worth it” do you think the caramel drizzle is? I might skip it.
It makes for a prettier cookie, but it’s absolutely optional. The caramel nuts have enough caramel flavor in them to really carry through the cookie. Enjoy!