Sooo delicious! I followed the advice of other reviewers and used 1/2 butter and 1/2 shortening. They turned out perfectly! I also substituted the almond extract with vanilla extract since I didn't have any almond extract on hand. I baked the cookies for exactly 10 minutes and pulled them out of the oven when just some of the edges were golden brown. I will definitely make these again. Update: I made this recipe again with all butter, no shortening. The cookies spread quite a bit and weren't nearly as good as when I made them with 1/2 shortening and 1/2 butter.

So good! I read most of the reviews and was really confused as to what to expect. Half of them said the cookies came out really cakey and puffy, and the other half said they were too flat. I don't like either extremes and really wanted a cookie that was right in the middle. I got it! I followed the recipe in the basics (was going to use less flour as some of the reviews stated, but when I was adding it, they looked like they needed all 2 1/2 cups), except did 1 tsp vanilla instead of half almond, and added more macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips. Used real salted butter, and it wasn't extremely softened, which I think helped. Dropped by tablespoons instead of teaspoons because teaspoons always seem too small. Baked for 9 minutes and they came out just undercooked in the middle, which is exactly how I like them. They were perfect. Hope this helps!

The BEST. Better than any cookie I have made yet. Made the recipe as is. Which I suggest as butter adds alot to the richness of the cookie. No problem with spreading. Do not soften butter too much. I also returned my dough to the fridge to firm it up a bit after mixing.I also did not add any almond extract. Almond is a very strong flavor and macadamia nuts are expensive. I did not want to overpower their delicate flavor.A++++

I made these cookies on a lazy Sunday afternoon, they mix up quick and easy. I read other reviews talking about the cookie "spreading" so I did 2 things to prevent this. First, I made sure to allow the butter to soften on its own at room temperature, and substituted 1/2 of the butter with butter Crisco. I also only used 1/2 of the almaond extract that is called for. The results were absolutely fabulous!!! They had very nice form, and baked up perfectly on my stoneware cookie sheet. My husband labeled it "a keeper" and took some to work to "share" although I think he was selfish and kept most for himself. I will be making these again!!

I've made these cookies four times now and they are always a tremendous hit. The last time I modified the recipe based on some of the reviews here. I replaced half the butter with butter flavored shortening and did 3/4 tsp vanilla and only 1/4 tsp almond extract. It made the almond flavor much more subtle and not so overpowering. The substitution of shortening for part of the butter helps the cookies maintain their shape and gives them a great texture.

Some of the best cookies ever! I made them into bars, and way undercooked them so they would be soft, and a little chewy. I've been searching for this recipe for years - Got it!!!

These are my favorite cookies but I never found a good recipe to try. Thank you for posting it! I just made a batch to add to my holiday cookie collection and I plan to make another later today. I too cut the almond extract to 1/4 tsp. and used 1/2 butter, 1/2 shortening as in a review I read for this recipe. The cookies did not spread and taste delicious!

I made these Saturday and had 2 requests for the recipe in my inbox on Monday morning. My switches: - 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup shortening - 1 tsp vanilla, no almond - 3/4 bag of white choc chips - parchment lined sheets - big messy drops of cookies Bravo!

So good! If you want to make a powerful impression, take these cookies to a party. I put the full amount of almond extract in and it was not overpowering at all. I cut down on the flour a little bit, using 2 cups of all-purpose and 1/4 of whole-wheat pastry flour. Taking these cookies to a dinner party tonight...if they last that long!

I made this recipe without the almond extract (doubled the vanilla) and they were delicious. I found these cookies to be quite sweet with the amount of sugar called for and wouldn't add any more.