Favorite Christmas Cookies #1

I got this recipe from a Woman's Day magazine in the early 1970s, when I was in college ... I've made 'em every year since then, and they are hugely popular with everyone I give cookie baskets to at Christmas time. I've changed the recipe a bit to emphasize the almonds.

• Ready In: 35 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 48

Ingredients

• 2 1⁄3 cups flour (all-purpose)
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 2⁄3 cup sugar
• 1  cup  almonds (unblanched, finely chopped)
• 1  teaspoon  almond extract
• 1  egg yolk
• 1  cup butter, softened
• 6  ounces chocolate chips (semisweet)
• 3  tablespoons butter
• 1  tablespoon water, hot but not boiling

Directions

1. Sift flour with 1/4 teaspoons salt.
2. With a hand mixer at medium speed, beat butter, sugar, egg yolk and almond extract until light and fluffy.
3. Mix in almonds. (Dough will be stiff.).
4. Shape dough into two rolls, each about 1.5" in diameter. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least two hours.
5. Preheat oven to 350. Cut dough into slices 1/4" thick. Bake on greased cookie sheets at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Cool completely.
6. Make chocolate dip: Melt chocolate morsels, 3 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoons hot water in double boiler.
7. Dip cooled cookies in chocolate dip. Only dip half of the cookie, so there's a semicircle of chocolate, and a semicircle of cookie.
8. Optional: Dust with ground or chopped almonds, or other decorations.