I’ve made plenty of stuffed cookies before. I’ve made marzipan-laced cookies before. But what I haven’t done before is stuff cookies with marzipan.
I mean, it seems obvious now that I’ve done it, and now that I have, I’m not sure how I lived without these cookies in my life for so many years before this moment.
Taylor, upon taking a single bite of my first batch warm from the oven, promptly declared this the best cookie he’s ever eaten. I acknowledged his compliment and went back to work, knowing full well that he often speaks in hyperbole and his “best ever” changes on a near-daily basis. Besides, you already know my feelings on designating recipes the “best ever”…. because really, unless you never plan to bake another cookie for the rest of your life, all you can honestly say is it is the “best so far”. It’s not quite as finite that way.
But then I shared a few of these cookies with our contractor and crew currently hard at work over at the new house, and he too exclaimed it was the best cookie he’s ever eaten.
Perhaps I’m on to something here?
These utterly soft, almond-flavored sugar cookies are stuffed with pillows of marzipan filling, lightly scented with orange blossom water (because, as I discovered before, orange blossom and almond are a match made in confection heaven).
The cookies are stuffed, then rolled in some crushed sliced almonds for an added layer of crunch. They puff when they bake, then slightly sink when they cool, forming darling little mounds around the almond filling, a visual hint that there is more to these cookies than meets the eye.
Stuffing the cookies is fairly straightforward. Simply split your dough ball in two and slightly flatten in against your palm. Place your disk of almond paste filling in the center, then top with the other half of the dough. Press to seal around the edges, then press the whole ball into the crushed sliced almonds before placing on the baking sheet.
I used the soft sugar cookie base from America’s Test Kitchen, one that I’ve used times before, which incorporates melted butter, oil, and a bit of cream cheese into the cookie base. This perhaps unusual combination results in a pillowy soft sugar cookie that stays soft for days.
In this version I used a mix of white and brown sugars, which results in a cookie that’s somewhere in between a sugar cookie and a chip-less chocolate chip.
Almond lovers (my people): this one’s for you.
Note: This recipe has been re-tested and updated as of December 2018, since the featured product, an almond & wheat flour blend, has been discontinued (and more than one reader attempts using all almond flour don’t quite produce the same result). This new version uses both all-purpose and almond flours to replicate the original as closely as possible!
Marzipan-Stuffed Almond Sugar Cookies
Deliciously soft almond-flavored sugar cookies are stuffed with pockets of marzipan, lightly scented with orange blossom water for a unique flavor.
Ingredients:
For Cookies:
- 2 cups (8 1/2 ounces or 240 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces or 70 grams) almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (2 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
For Filling:
- 8 ounces almond paste
- 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar, plus more as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon orange blossom water (optional)
- 1 cup sliced almonds, lightly crushed
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a bowl, whisk together flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
- Combing sugar, brown sugar, and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl; smoosh and blend with a large rubber spatula until uniform and paste-like. Add melted butter and oil and stir until smooth. Add egg and extracts and stir until smooth and shiny.
- Pour in dry ingredients and fold until just incorporated and no dry ingredients remain. The dough will be fairly soft, but still workable as it’s definitely more oily than sticky. Still, if it seems much too sticky to work with, you can chill it for 20 to 30 minutes to stiffen it up a bit.
- To make filling, knead together almond paste, corn syrup, powdered sugar, and orange blossom water until smooth, using a light dusting of powdered sugar to prevent the paste from sticking. Form into 3/4-inch diameter balls (about 1/2 teaspoon worth or 5 grams each), then flatten slightly into a 1-inch diameter disk.
- Spoon dough by the tablespoonful. Split in half and slightly flatten in the palm of your hand. Place one almond paste disk in the center, and top with other half of dough. Seal edges and smooth into a flattened ball shape. Press into crushed almonds until fully coated, then arrange on prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches of space between cookies.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until tops are puffed and edges are lightly golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough. Cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Did you make this recipe?
Let us know what you think!
Leave a Comment below or share a photo and tag me on Instagram with the hashtag #loveandoliveoil.
If I use marzipan for filling do I omit sugar and corn syrup or just sugar
Marzipan varies greatly in the % of sugar in the recipe. Assuming it’s soft and workable, you should be fine using it as is.
I bake a lot and these are the cookies of my dreams. They will be part of my holiday cookie gifts this year. An absolutely genius recipe. Thank you!!
Has anyone dare tried using gluten-free flour and almond flour so that they could be gluten-free?
I tried this recipes and I LOVED it!! I’m a pretty impatient cook, but I’d slave all day making these just to enjoy them!! My 6 year old said “muy delicioso!” 10/10 would recommend!
Hola, la receta me parece espectacular. Voy a buscar los ingredientes y hacerlas. Espero hacerlas antes de 15 días. Gracias por compartirlas conmigo entre otras personas amantes del buen dulce de manos cariñosas. gracias.
I made these cookies and they are absolutely delicious!!! I made my own almond paste with blanched almonds, lemon juice, granulated sugar and water, see link https://www.budget101.com/recipes/1500-almond-paste/ which turned out great!!! and added the zest of two small lemons and a teaspoon and a half of fresh lemon juice to the batter (as I wanted some lemon flavour as well). The recipe does take a bit of time, so I made the filling and dough one day and formed and baked the cookies the next day. Also, I didn’t want to bake all of them at once, so froze some of the formed unbaked cookies and thawed and coated in sliced almonds when I was ready to bake. Happily they turned out as perfect as the unfrozen ones. They were crispy around the edges and moist and chewy on the inside. Whoever tried them loved them and a couple people have asked for the recipe. Thank you! This is a winner!!!
Hi Lindsay! Thank you for your reply above!
Can you tell me how many cookies this recipe yields?
thank you! Paula :D
It is listed in the recipe card, about 3 dozen (though this depends on how large you roll them).
Hi Lindsay!
I am planning to make these cookies for my brother for Christmas as he loves marzipan and these look really delicious and unique!!
I am wondering how many cookies this recipe makes?
If I cannot find orange blossom water in time, would you think lemon juice and or zest would taste good in these cookies, and what quantity would you suggest?
Also, can I prepare and freeze the unbaked cookies in advance? If so, should I let them defrost before baking or bake from frozen? And if baking from frozen, how long should I bake them for?
Looking forward to your reply!
Thanks! Paula :D
In lieu of orange blossom water, a bit of orange zest would be the closest in terms of flavor. But you’d be fine leaving it out as well.
Cookies like these will freeze pretty well, I generally add 2-3 minutes of bake time when baking dough directly from frozen.
Do you think these could be made without the cream cheese and still be good?
I have not tried it personally. The cream cheese helps these cookies stay softer longer, without it you may end up with an overall crispier cookie.
I used orange blossom honey instead of the corn syrup and orange blossom water.
…trying to avoid corn syrup!
My grocery store has marzipan in tubes and a product called almond cake and pastry filling by Solo. There is no such thing as almond paste in the baking aisle. Therr is a product that is more like ground almonds in the peanut butter aisle. Can you be specific about what type of almond product you are referring to here?
Use the marzipan, just don’t add the extra sugar. Solo has a product called almond paste, which is stickier and has less added sugar than marzipan. Adding sugar to almond paste is essentially a way to make homemade marzipan.
These came out wonderfully! I used pre-made marizpan instead of the almond paste.
Best cookies ever! My kids absolutely loved them.
Hi,
I tried these today and with 10min at 350 C they are quite hard. Does that mean the oven was too hot or should I have taken them out sooner? (They’re still pretty light colored at the top)
I used Robin Hood AP flour and Kirkland brand almond flour (and homemade almond paste).
Or maybe because I flattened them before putting them on the baking sheet?
Thanks in advance
Hmm I’ve never experienced a hard cookie. I would try baking them a bit less. And did you flatten them because they weren’t spreading on their own (they should). I might suspect you’re overmeasuring your flour in this case; try weighing it next time to be sure you’re using the right amount!
mine came out fine, but after i finished chewing there was a bit of a salty aftertaste. Do you know what I can do to fix this? I’ve made these before and they’ve turned out amazing but idk what happened this time
Hmm, that’s very strange indeed! Did you maybe use a different brand of marzipan? Salted butter? Salted almonds?
I’m so hooked on this cookie. It has been a first for all my guests so far and at 60 you’d think some never ate a good cookie … til now. Scrump and 5 ***** s!
Funnily enough I’ve had similar comments about these same cookies!! So glad you enjoyed! :)
Yummm!! I just made these at high altitude. I am still figuring out the ratios here. I didn’t find the mix and didn’t read through all the comments until now, so I used all almond flour. They spread a ton but still are so tasty. They remind me of chewier bear claw! Will do another batch with mix of flour and hope they look prettier. If not they still are so good!!
Just wanted to let you know I retested the recipe this weekend and have updated it to include the correct proportions of flour/almond flour! Happy baking!!
So, the recipe says 2 1/4 c. of flour so the measurements would be 1 3/4 cups APF and 3/4 cups Almond? Ty for your time and asfvice.
Just wanted to let you know I retested the recipe this weekend and have updated it to include the correct proportions of flour/almond flour! Happy baking!!
I used Bob mills almond flour will this work or do I need to use 1/2 & 1/2 APF & ALMOND? IT XAME OUT SOUPY. PLEASE advise.ty.
Yes, I’d recommend a blend of about 75% AP flour and 25% almond flour. Using all almond flour definitely won’t work in this case.
I’ve chewed my way through 3 batches of these biscuits from heaven,,, so is it just me or did anyone else have to add more flour than this recipe calls for (to keep them from spreading too much.)
I tried these cookies and they are awesome. I ate four of them when they came out of the oven and had to make myself stop! Nothing like warm marzipan cookies. The almond estract in the cookie and the marzipan filling is the almond lovers’ dream and they are not too overwhelming but just right. I could not locate the White Lily almond wheat flour in any of the stores so what I used was 2 cups of King Arthur AP flour and 1/4 cup of King Arthur almond flour. Can’t wait for my family to try them!
Tried your recipe ,read it over and over so I wouldn’t miss anything. They are gray. I can’t wait to share next week at family Christmas gathering.
Lovely to look at too. Thank you for the recipe. Alice in Texas
Made them. My family was STUNNED. Thank you SO much for this recipe. Amazing, amazing, amazing!
Hi Lindsay! Can these be frozen Do you think? :-)
I haven’t tried it personally, but I don’t see why they couldn’t be frozen either before baking (dough balls) or after!
If I cannot find whole wheat almond flour what is a good sub?
Just use all AP flour or a mix of maybe 75% AP and 25% almond flour if you want. Just don’t use ALL almond flour as it won’t have enough structure to hold together.
Can I use a cup for cup substitute with almond flour?
No – use cup for cup All Purpose flour, or swap 75% AP and 25% Almond. If you use all almond the cookies won’t bake right.
Wow – I made these cookies twice this week (once to test for an event, and again for the event). Like Otto, I substituted Gluten Free flour (no adjustments – used same amount of regular flour as in recipe). They are some of the best cookies I’ve ever had! Had to bake them for a little less time (8-9 minutes), and mine turned out really puffed up (not flat like in the photos), but so soft and delicious. Thank you!! This recipe is a keeper ;)
Just made these cookies. Followed the recipe exactly except substituted gluten free flour. Turned out amazing. Took them to a small dinner party and everyone polished off the whole batch.
I just made these. I used all purpose flour and did not coat in almonds as I did not have any. They are absolutely delicious! I left them in the oven a few minutes longer than stated. I am definitely saving this recipe for use again. Thank you.
Just perfect.
Hi Lindsay,
This looks really delicious. Love marzipan-stuffed and your blog, Lindsay.
Thanks for sharing!
Help! Making these now…My dough is too loose and oily. I couldn’t find the almond/wheat flour combo, so I bought White Lilly wheat and separate almond flour and used half of each. My dough seems to need quite a bit more flour. I don’t want to ruin it, though… Any suggestions on final consistency so I don’t ruin the whole batch?
The dough has an oily consistency but it should still hold together when you shape it. You could try chilling it a bit if it’s too soft perhaps?
I love that you said orange blossom and almond go together…. Those are the two fragrances I use… In the shower, body lotion, perfume…… Now in a cookie? Genius!
I’m an almond fanatic so these sound absolutely incredible….quite possibly the best ever. :)
This looks amazing! Really want to give it a whirl
-Cait
The orange blossom water addition sounds delicious! A cookie that is healthy too will be on top of my list!
I love marzipan (and frangipane and almond paste!) These cookies look delicious, Lindsay,. Nice step-by-step photos!
Thanks for the recipe
These cookies look amazing and the way you described them makes me want to run to the grocery store!
Looking forward to meeting you in Nashville!
Four types of almond, fantastic! No wonder these are everyone’s favorite, the taste and flavor must be phenomenal!!
Ha, I didn’t even realize that! These are truly an almond-lover’s dream. :)
Did you use almond paste or marzipan? The ingredients state almond paste, but you call them marzipan.
I use almond paste (Solo brand), but when mixed with powdered sugar and a bit of corn syrup it becomes marzipan. The distinction between the two is pretty arbitrary. I just find that store-bought marzipan is far too dry and crumbly.
These look incredible!!! Also, obsessed with those before/after photos. That flour blend sounds incredibly cool too. I’m bummed they don’t sell White Lily in my area :(
Try Target… they seem to be the most widespread carrier of the new premium flours. If not, I’ll ship you some, haha. :)
Mmmm these look delicious! Never thought to stuff cookies with marzipan, but now I’m wondering why not–genius!
I’ve made ATK’s chewy sugar cookies dozens of times as my family and my kids classmates love them. Stuffing them with marzipan is genius! I’ve got to make this recipe!
These look amazing! I adore marzipan (or anything almond really, but especially marzipan) so these are heaven in cookie form!
These look so good!! I’m totally making this soon!! :) :)
If we were to make our own flour blend, how much A/P and how much almond flour would you use? Thanks.
I don’t know the exact percentages of the White Lily blend except that it’s a perfect mix. :) However I might try start with maybe 1/2 cup almond flour and go from there? You can also make this with all AP flour and it will definitely still work, although it won’t have quite the same final taste/texture.
I read this post in my inbox right before my morning run. Feeling inspired to kick my butt so I can eat 2 or 10 of these tasty beasts later. What almond paste brands do you usually use? Do you think honey could substitute the corn syrup? Thanks. Almonds are healthy so let’s just pretend these are okayed by my trainer. :)
I use Solo brand almond paste since it’s readily available in most grocery stores. The honey would impart more flavor than the corn syrup although not a bad one. However something like a golden syrup may be a better substitute if you can find it.
Almonds are totally healthy. :)
Lindsay, you are an absolute genius and these look AMAZING
Damn these look good. Although I don’t trust myself around biscuits! ;)
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These look amazing, I love anything marzipan-stuffed really!