Is it possible not to love a crunchy almond cookie tossed in powdered sugar? And, after thousands of years of refining various cuisines, honing cooking tools, and passing down culinary knowledge from one generation to the next, is it possible to forget everything else when in the presence of one of these cookies?

There are days when I am lucky enough to enjoy wild mushrooms, exotic fruits, or fabulous and complex preparations. These, however, are far from my mind when a plate of cookies is set before me. How indeed could I think of anything else?

In all seriousness, though, it seems that we have done little to improve upon the cookie in recent years. Of course, we have our overloaded monster cookies and organic whoopie pies, but the superb simplicity of the old-fashioned cookie jar (and the cookies therein) remain unbested.

Many of my favorite old cookie recipes involve ground almonds, or almond meal. Almond meal adds a superb flavor to baked goods without compromising the texture, as many gluten free flours do. However, almond meal also imparts lightness and crunch in cookies, which is part of the appeal of these almond crescents.

I found that these cookies improve in flavor over the period of a week, so feel free to make them ahead of time, and don't worry too much about their shelf life. Safely contained in an airtight tin, these lovelies will last for weeks.

Other articles you might enjoy: Thumbprint Cookies,  Molasses Ginger Cookies, Iced Hermits