I never travel without tasty snacks, whether it’s a long road trip or a quick flight. Last week’s trip to Seattle was no exception.
On the way there, I packed a bag of sliced green peppers, a bunch of carrot matchsticks, and a large container filled with some of my favorite cookies.
These are those cookies! And I have to tell you, they’re something special.
Have you ever had those butter almond thins from Trader Joe’s? When I used to buy them, I could eat the whole box. In one sitting. Literally.
Or, speaking of food on airplanes, do you also remember back in the day when flights would include assorted nuts and a snack? There were these crunchy ginger cookies I always found so comforting.
My recipe is a tasty hybrid of these two snacks. And trust me when I say that it is even better than both of them.
Buttery, nutty, and crisp, my spelt flour spiced almond wafers are the perfect cookies for fall. With each crunchy bite, enjoy an intoxicating mix of warm fall spices and a subtle depth of flavor from the spelt flour and unrefined sugars.
You can roll them out, and cut them into any basic cookie cutter shape like circles, squares, hearts, and flowers.
I think they are best enjoyed with your favorite hot fall beverage, like a creamy cappuccino, apple cider, or a hot toddy.
No holding back on the whiskey, please.
And, for the record, not that this happened to anyone here… But if you’re ever stuck in the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport for three hours while you wait for your flight and you want something to mindlessly eat until it’s totally and completely gone, well, they’re good for that, too.
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Spelt Flour Spiced Almond Wafer Cookies
- Total Time: 2 hours, 40 minutes
- Yield: 48 (4 dozen) cookies 1x
Description
Buttery, nutty, and crisp, our spiced almond wafer cookies are perfect for autumn, with a warm drink. You’ll fall in love with every bite you take.
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups white spelt flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 stick unsalted butter (4 oz or 1/2 cup), room temperature
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1 cup unrefined cane sugar
- 1/4 cup unrefined coconut sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup sliced or slivered almonds
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside.
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, coconut oil, and both sugars on medium speed for 4 minutes. The mixture will be a little liquidy.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the almond or vanilla extract.
- On low speed, add the dry mixture to the wet, until a thick but very soft dough forms.
- Divide dough into two pieces, flatten them into circles, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours, until chilled and hardened.
- When you’re ready to work with the dough, preheat oven to 350°F. Line 4 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Work with one dough circle at a time. On a well-floured surface, roll out the dough to a 1/8-inch thickness, using more flour to dust as needed to prevent sticking.
- Cut shapes out like you would with sugar cookies and place them on the prepared baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Top each cookie with a few almonds. Place the baking sheets in the fridge for 10 minutes to re-chill the dough before baking.
- Bake for about 10 minutes, in batches if necessary, until they’re lightly browned around the edges.
- Remove promptly from the oven, and let cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes before transferring to cooling racks to cool completely.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Baked Goods
Keywords: autumn, wafer cookie, almond, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, spelt flour
Cooking by the Numbers…
Step 1 – Prep
Set out 4 baking sheets. Line with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Gather and measure all of the ingredients.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.
So many spices! Let’s get that spice rack as organized as possible!
Step 2 – Mix Together Fats and Sugars
In a large bowl with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the unsalted butter, coconut oil, unrefined cane sugar, and coconut sugar on medium speed for 4 minutes.
You aren’t creaming like traditional cookie dough – the mixture will look liquidy and grainy.
Step 3 – Add Eggs and Extract
Crack both eggs in a bowl, being sure to remove any shells. Add the eggs, one at a time, to the wet mixture. Beat well after each addition.
Once the eggs are thoroughly mixed, add the almond or vanilla extract.
Step 4 – Add the Dry Mixture
On low speed, add the reserved dry mixture until a thick, but very soft, dough forms.
Step 5 – Chill
Divide dough into two or three pieces, depending on how much you would like to roll out at a time. Shape each piece into flat circles and cover securely with plastic wrap.
Refrigerate for 1-2 hours, until the dough has chilled and hardened. You don’t want to work with the dough when it’s soft – it will be difficult to thinly roll out, and difficult to cut into shapes.
Step 6 – Roll Out
Is the dough chilled thoroughly? Are you ready to roll it? If so, preheat your oven to 350°F.
Work with one dough circle at a time. On a well-floured surface, roll out the dough with a rolling pin until it is about 1/8 inch thick, using more flour to dust as needed to prevent sticking.
Step 7 – Cut into Shapes
Cut shapes out like you would with sugar cookies and place them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about an inch of space between each one.
Be sure to carefully transfer the dough from the work surface to the baking sheet with an offset spatula. The dough will be delicate.
Repeat with the remaining sections of dough.
Step 8 – Garnish and Chill
Garnish each shape with a few sliced or slivered almonds. Transfer the baking sheets to the refrigerator for about 10 minutes, to let the dough chill and re-harden.
Step 9 – Bake
Bake for about 10 minutes, until they’re golden brown around the edges. I recommend keeping your eye on them during the last minute or so of baking – they can brown quickly!
Remove them promptly from the oven, and let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooking racks to cool completely.
Eat and enjoy!
Thin, Crisp, Spiced, Perfect!
With a buttery, crisp texture and a subtle symphony of spices and sugars, these spelt flour almond wafers will fit right in with all of your other fall favorites.
Why not dive even deeper into autumnal bliss with some of our suggested pairings:
- Dip them in your pumpkin spice latte
- Spread some apple butter on top
- Crumble on top of a butternut squash or pumpkin soup (seriously, it’s delicious!)
- Finely grind them to coat white chocolate truffles
We trust that you’ll think of some great ideas yourself! Share in the comments below if you have any other fantastic fall ideas featuring these wafers.
Looking for even nuttier cookies? We have plenty to share from our sweet collection:
- Spelt Walnut Chocolate Chip
- White Chocolate Hazelnut Oatmeal
- Grandma’s Brown Butter
- Chocolate Truffle Walnut
Photos by Nikki Cervone, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published on October 14, 2010. Last updated: January 1, 2020 at 0:32 am. With additional writing and editing by Nikki Cervone.
Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.
About Shanna Mallon
Shanna Mallon is a freelance writer who holds an MA in writing from DePaul University. Her work has been featured in a variety of media outlets, including The Kitchn, Better Homes & Gardens, Taste of Home, Houzz.com, Foodista, Entrepreneur, and Ragan PR. In 2014, she co-authored The Einkorn Cookbook with her husband, Tim. Today, you can find her digging into food topics and celebrating the everyday grace of eating on her blog, Go Eat Your Bread with Joy. Shanna lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with Tim and their two small kids.
These look fantabulous. Very fantabulous.
I’m with you on the whole “bring snacks everywhere I go” routine. You just never know, right?! Waiting in airports is never much fun, at least you had these to munch on! They sound perfect for the holidays too.
oh these look so delicious! I’ve been itching to bake again lately. Fall is just so conducive to warm delicious baked goods.
I love that you bring a bunch of snacks for the plane — my boyfriend always thinks I’m off my rocker for doing the same thing. But flying makes one hungry, you know?
And while the gingersnaps they used to serve hit the spot, I imagine these Martha ones are even better.
yum, what a great snack! would also be great with a cup of tea 🙂
Snacks are always better when they’re pretty to look at, I think. And of course when they taste of gingerbread! Have you tried Anna’s Pepparkakor from IKEA? I’m betting they’re similar to the TJ’s variety, plus there are other flavors as well. But I digress, sweet travel treats — love the crunch of almond.
*Heather*
OOOhhhhhhhh these look crackly and lovely!
Kudos for adapting the recipe- this one looks great!
Isn’t SeaTac a cool airport? I love the salmon/river design on the floor, and the water fountains that gurgle and the giant windows in the terminal (by the delicious seafood restaurant whose name I’ve forgotten).
coookies yum 🙂 they looks so darn fancy 🙂 but the recipe looks kid friendly even… seeing i barely ever do anything kid free–even bathroom trips… its like”mommy , where are you” –and packing snack for 9!! LOL.. dont even get me started..w e gotta have a cooler….
Heather, Actually, I think I have! They’re nice, too. I’m always drawn to the crunchy cookies (well, and all cookies, let’s be honest).
Antonietta, Thank you!
Rachel, Packing a snack for nine is so incomprehensible to me. You’re amazing!
These really remind me of the cookies I ate at my grandmother’s growing up. They were shaped like flowers as well with the perfect crumbly crispy texture and taste of gingerbread. YUM!
OMG. a double bonus – seattle (one of my favorite cities) AND cookies? yep. life is good. thanks, shannalee!
I am the exact same way with bringing snacks everywhere I go. I won’t leave the house without snacks in my purse becaues I go crazy if I’m hungry and left with no food. And I don’t eat fast food. So why not?! I’ve gotten crazy looks for some of the stuff I pull out of my Mary Poppins purse though. I’m always thrilled to read a new cookie recipe of yours. I’ve almost made every single one!
Kim, And I missed them!? Next time!
Claire, Those sound lovely! My favorite cookie memories were at my grandma’s.
JessieV, Ha, life is good. : )
Alicia, You should get some kind of prize for being so ready to jump on board with new cookies. I love that about you!
That is the perfect travel snack!
These would be worth baking just to get that gingery aroma in the house. I am having Christmas food fantasies now.
Susan, Cookies totally are!
Angela, Christmas already? Well these cookies are a good fall/winter compromise. : )
i am all for the portable snacks while traveling. just got back from dallas and brought some granola for the breakfasts. as it turns out, we had free breakfast anyway, so i saved it instead!!
Heather, I’m making granola this week! Snack foods are the best.
I do exactly as you do–never travel without GOOD food. However, I differ a little: I NEVER eat airport food, anywhere (well, SF airport is an exception). In a few days, I am on my way to Denver and I already baked fresh brioche, waiting in the freezer (my flight leaves very early).
George, Brioche!? Well you are amazing!
I love the idea of putting some nuts on as a toppings. Thanks for sharing this one. My hubby will surely love your cookie and ask for it more. He really loves cookies like that.
Mel, You’re welcome! I hope he does!
Wow. This is totally a great snack when you are travelling. My kids love this when ever we wait for our flight and they eat most of it until they don’t have cookies for their snacks while we are on the airplane. Lol. Maybe I should make many of your cookies for our next flight destination.
Rose, I think I relate to your kids! It’s a great idea that you bring them snacks!