Bear Claw Cookies
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon water
Slivered blanched almonds
Cream butter. Add sugar and beat until creamy and light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and almond extract. Sift dry ingredients together and add alternately with water. Chill about 2 hours. Form into 1 inch balls. Place on prepared pans and press down with the bottom of a glass (spray with cooking spray to keep dough from sticking to the glass) to ¼ inch thickness. Press 3 or 4 almonds into each cookie to look like bear claws. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 – 15 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Makes about 5 dozen cookies
