Almond Triangles

Twelve Days of Cookie Baking — The Baker’s Dozen — Day 13

Create memories your families and friends will savor for years to come

Charlotte Midthun, right, and her sister, Leigh Smith, 

prepare 

the 

crust for the almond triangles at the Star 

Tribune’s 

holiday cookie 

contest in this 2009 photo. 

(Photo 

courtesy of Sharyn Resvick)

Those of us who love to cook and bake look forward to the seasons and holidays of each year. We take delight in celebrating them through creating our cherished recipes — all of them “winners,” as far as we’re concerned!

But, one of Charlotte Midthun’s recipes has truly earned the title of “First Place Winner.” Her “Almond Triangles” took top prize in the Twin Cities Star Tribune’s seventh annual holiday cookie contest in 2009!

Charlotte has been making these extraordinary confections for about 20 years. Everyone loves them! Her sister Leigh Smith thought about entering this awesome recipe in the Star Tribune’s contest but encouraged Charlotte to do it since it was “hers.”

These goodies weigh in calling for a pound of butter and a pound of almonds. Combine those tasty ingredients with honey, white and brown sugars, cream and other good things and it’s no wonder that the contest judges were blown away!

Modestly, Charlotte describes the almond triangles as “a nice combination — very rich but not too sweet because of the nuts, which add a little ‘saltiness.’ ”

You be the judge. Give these decadent (yet relatively easy to make) cookies a try. Charlotte says they are the “star attraction” on the Christmas cookie trays she assembles. That doesn’t surprise me — I imagine them as totally phenomenal! CJK

Almond Triangles

(Charlotte Midthun)

1 lb. butter, (at room temperature), divided

3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. almond extract

1 egg

2 3/4 cups flour

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 lb. sliced almonds (about 5 1/4 cups)

Line a 15 by 10-inch jellyroll pan with foil. Beat 1/2 lb. butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, salt and almond extract. Beat in egg and then flour. Press dough into pan and push up sides. Refrigerate dough while preheating oven.

Heat oven to 375°F. Prick dough with a fork and bake 10 minutes.

In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, honey, 1/2 lb. butter and 1/4 cup granulated sugar and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Bring mixture to a boil without stirring and boil 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cream and almonds. Spread over crust. Bake until bubbling, about 15 minutes. Cool and cut into triangles.

Yield: 80 cookies

Charlotte and Leigh press the dough for the bottom crust into a
jelly roll pan. (Photo courtesy of Sharyn Resvick)

A note from Charlotte: Make sure the butter is at room temperature before you start. I also let the cream come to room temperature. I set it out when I begin making the dough.

At the end, when it’s time to add the cream and nuts, I always stir a handful of the nuts into the hot boiling syrup first so that the cream doesn’t curdle, then add the cream and the rest of the nuts.

A note from Carol: “It’s a small world after all” is so true. When I mentioned my plan for the “Twelve Days of Cookies” series to a childhood friend of mine, Sharyn Resvick, she told me about her sister-in-law Charlotte and her famous recipe. It’s an honor to conclude this year’s holiday collection with her award-winning “Almond Triangles.”

Charlotte Midthun and her husband, Tom, are members of St. Andrew Church in Granite Falls, Minn., in the New Ulm Diocese. They are the parents of two grown children and grandparents to 8-month-old Benjamin.