Nuts and salt are appropriate flavors for a bloody Saturday boxing match. I found this recipe from a New York Times article last year. It’s an elegant bar treat served somewhere in France. We’ll watch a fortunate soul receive millions of dollars with blood dripping out of his nose. I will sympathize with his agony by eating a few of these salty sweets. What a bloody joy.

Almond Salty Butter Cookies

Recipe from the New York Times.
Recipe yields about 2 dozen cookies.

Ingredients

• 3/4 c. blanched almonds or hazelnuts, lightly toasted and cooled to room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. kosher or flaky sea salt (if using fine or table salt, use 3/8 tsp.)
• 1 c. all-purpose flour
• 7 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Directions

1. Position 2 oven racks in top third and bottom third of oven. Preheat oven to 325ºF. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a food processor, grind nuts, sugar and salt to a fine meal. In a mixer, beat flour and butter together on low speed until texture is sandy. Add nut mixture and mix on low until dough starts to form small lumps; keep mixing until dough just holds together when pinched between fingers. If the mixture is too dry, add a teaspoon of butter. Do not hold the dough with wet fingers, for the cookies will collapse.
3. Pinch off about a teaspoon of dough and place in palm of your hand. With tips of fingers, pinch and press dough together until cookie has a flat bottom and pointed top, like a rough pyramid. Cookies need not be perfectly smooth or equal size. Place on parchment about 1 inch apart.
4. Bake about 15 minutes, rotating cookie sheets halfway through. Cookies should be turning golden brown on edges. Cool on sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks and cool completely before storing in airtight containers up to 1 week.