Almond Sugar Cookies

I love Valentine's Day. It's a very weird thing for me. If you know me, you know that I don't love a lot of things . . . especially anything that's a spectacle or a holiday. Working 5 years at a bakery and making sugar cookies in every holiday's special shape thousands of time over really sucks the holiday love right out of a person . . . but not Valentine's Day.

Valentine's Day has just always been very cheery and cute. I love the little valentines that kids hand out at school and EVERYONE is included. I love that my mom would always get my brothers and I sweet and thoughtful gifts (my first ever CD was a Valentine's gift -- Hanson!). And my friends have recently joined in, thoughtful as they are, buying me cute gifts to celebrate this holiday of love.

I just love it. And I love the people in my community that I get to do life with, and so I made them almond sugar cookies with the cutest mini heart sprinkles.

Embrace the commercialism. Accept the love. Make the cookies.

Happy Valentine's Day!
XXOOXXOO

Almond Sugar Cookies
makes about 2 dozen

12 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream
2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
1 egg yolk

1 cup gluten-free oat flour
1/3 c white rice flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 recipe perfect buttercream (sub almond extract for vanilla)
Sprinkles (they're a good decision)

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, sour cream, and granulated sugar. Scrape down bowl and paddle. Add extract and yolk and mix just until combined.

In a separate bowl, stir together remaining ingredients. Add to the butter-sugar mixture and mix on low, just until combined.

Remove dough to a lightly-floured surface. Roll dough into a log about an inch in diameter. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours, and up to overnight.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut dough into about 24 disks and place them about an inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake about 12-15 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until cookies are set and edges are lightly browned (I cooked mine too long . . . don't worry about it--I'm saving y'all from this). Let rest on baking sheets 2-3 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to be frosted.