I tried making these cookies with less butter to see how a lower fat version would taste. The shape and texture of the cookies was different. They were more cakey but still tasty. In the end, I decided to stick with the version with more butter because they just tasted more. . . well. . . more buttery. If you decide to go the lighter route, use 1 1/2 sticks of butter instead.
Makes about 5 dozen cookies
30 minutes preparation time, plus at least an hour for chilling the dough
1 hour baking time
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup whole almonds
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter (8 tablespoons or, for a lighter version, as little as 12 tablespoons)
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 large egg
Measure
the oats and almonds into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until
they are chopped into tiny bits. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt
and pulse once or twice to combine.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan or in the microwave. Add the sugars and almond extract, and stir with a wooden spoon. Add the egg and mix again until the mixture is smooth. Stir in the dry ingredients and mix just until the dough is evenly moist.
Refrigerate the dough for at least an hour and up to several days.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Scoop out the dough with a table spoon and arrange about 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for about 10, just until the cookies are lightly brown around the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack.
The cookies may be stored in an airtight container for about a week.