3 cups all-purpose flour   -  1/2 tsp salt  -  1 cup margarine  -  3/4 cup sugar  -  1 egg, lightly beaten  -  2 drops almond extract

TOPPING:  1 egg with 2 tsp water   -  1 TBSP ground cinnamon  -  1 cup chopped almonds  -  1/4 cup sugar

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Rub the margarine into the flour with fingertips until it resmbles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the beaten egg, almond extract, and the 3/4 cup of sugar. Knead just until the dough is smooth. Put dough in a plastic bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet. Roll out dough to 1/2 inch thickness and cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Arrange on cookie sheets and brush them with the egg and water mixture. Sprinkle cookies lightly with the topping cinnamon-sugar-nuts mixture. Bake about 5 minutes or until lightly browned at the edges. Cool on a rack. Makes 40. It's pareve.

They are good cookies and remind me of cinnamon toast. This recipe came out of a Jewish cookbook my aunt had and called "Jewish Cooking From Around the World" by Josephine Levy Bacon 1986 Barrons. I use a fork instead of my finger to get it like breadcrumbs. I use small cookie cutters and brush the cookies with the egg/water mix on a paper plate and the sprinle the cinnamon/sugar/almonds over them and when I place the cookies on the baking sheet I'm able to get the left over sprinkles back into the container to use on other cookies. They are really good and have had good reviews!! One of my favorites that I make for the holidays.