Cornball Almond Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chopped almonds
• 90 g unsalted butter, room temperature
• 0.5 cup almond paste
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 0.5 tsp of soda
• 0.5 tsp baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 0.5 tsp almond extract
• 4 cups puffed corn flakes (breakfast cereal)
• 1 cup chocolate chips (milk, dark, or semi-sweet)

Preparation:

1. Position 2 oven racks on the middle shelf of the oven; preheat oven to 350°F (160°C). Place the almonds on a baking sheet and roast until lightly toasted, about 5 minutes; transfer to a bowl. Wipe the baking sheet clean.
2. In a bowl with a mixer on medium speed, beat the unsalted butter with the almond paste, honey, white and brown sugars until smooth, about 3 minutes. Stir in the egg. Add the baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla and almond extracts and beat until fully combined, about 1 minute.
3. Add the cornballs, chocolate chips, and half the almonds to the dough and fold with a wooden spoon. Form the dough into 2-inch balls and place them on two baking sheets (do not grease), spacing them about 3 inches apart. Do not line the baking sheets with parchment paper, otherwise the cookies will stick to the paper. Sprinkle each ball with the remaining almonds.
4. Bake until the cookies are spread and golden brown, about 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. If the cookies are stuck to the baking sheets, return them to the oven for 1-2 minutes to soften. The cookies will crisp up as they cool.