I'm entering the butter contest, because this dessert is made with lots of tasty, tasty butter! But in a healthy way of course. I.e. with sugar! And almonds! *grin*

What is this delicious dish? Boeterkoekjes! They’re basically two-bite almond blondies, super-moist and buttery and perfect for tea-time. Or, you know…midnight snack cravings!

My mum is Dutch, and I grew up eating boeterkoek, a traditional Dutch butter cake. Sometimes it’s made with ground almonds and sometimes just with almond flavouring. I had used up the last of my ground almonds when I made triple almond sugar cookies but I wanted to have actual almonds in the dish and not just flavouring, so i decided to add in some marzipan. (It’s inexpensive if you buy it at…IKEA, of all places).

Enough with the talking, on with the baking!

Step 1: Mixing Up the Batter

Boeterkoekjes (Little Butter Cakes)

2/3 c. butter, softened
1 c. white sugar
1 1/2 tsp almond extract
1 egg
1 3/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
100 g. marzipan (1/3 c.-ish)
1 tbsp. cream

Cream butter and sugar together. Mix the remaining ingredients together with sugar/butter mixture (except for the cream) until blended.

Step 2: Fill 'er Up!

Fill a mini-muffin tray with the dough. This makes a verrrry soft dough. That’s ok! Wet your fingers to shape the dough if you need to. If you'd prefer, you can refrigerate the dough until it's more solid (but just remember to add a minute or two to the baking time then).

Step 3: Prepare for Baking!

Cut a cross-hatch pattern in the tops, and brush with cream. Doesn't have to be perfect. If you don't have cream, you can use a beaten egg -- the idea is just to get that golden crusty top once they're baked.

Step 4: Bake, Let Cool...And Devour!

The title to this step says it all.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 15 min. Let cool in pan before removing or they’ll crumble. Makes 24 boeterkoekjes. Eat and moan in enjoyment. Note that the boeterkoekjes will be quite moist -- they're supposed to be that way, and they're part of what make them so yummy to bite into!

Ah, butter. The delicious things you make!