I was hoping to make cookies, but did not have any butter.

I did have extra virgin olive oil, though. So I went searching online, which is what I always do, for recipes or inspiration. Sometimes both.

This is a recipe from Mark Bittman. I did not have zest, or juice, but I did have marcona almonds, almond extract, and milk, so theses turned out a little different. Next time.

This recipe is taken from Tim Ferriss' fantastically thick cookbook, The 4 Hour Chef, which is packed with way too much goodness. When paired with a decadent red wine, the Sexy-Time Steak is exquisite. I really do. No, really. It's burnt perfectionism, oozing with butter and rendered fat. It's incredible. And simple!

saffron almond olive oil cookies (slightly modified from here.)

ingredients

small pinch of crumbled saffron threads, roughly 1/8 teaspoon

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 large eggs

2 Tablespoons of whole milk

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

About 25-30 marcona almonds (or regular almonds, if you prefer)

deamarara sugar (I call it rah-rah) (optional)

method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine 1 Tablespoon of boiling water with the saffron in a medium bowl. Stir and steep for about 5 minutes.

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl and stir with a whisk several times to ensure the ingredients are well mixed.

Add the sugar and olive oil to the saffron mix, and beat with a whisk until light. Add the eggs, one at a time, and incorporate well using the whisk. Beat in the milk and extract, if using.

I used a Tablespoon ice cream scoop to drop mounds of dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Mark Bittman suggests 2 teaspoons, which yield n extra dozen more than what I had. So, if you want less, but bigger, cookies, use a Tablespoon scoop. They all were about 3-inches apart from each other on the baking sheets.

For each cookie, I pressed one marcona almond in the top center, then sprinkled generously with demarera sugar, if using. Bake on 350 degrees for 13-15 minutes. Mine took about 14 minutes.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Can be stored at room temperature for one to two days.

Though it's finally beginning to warm up a little bit... ... even though it's still too cold for me to wear a coat in Chicago, I'm preparing for spring by making a ton of interesting dishes for Passover and Easter. In any case, I discovered many of my mother Bernice's recipes, which I will include in my next cookbook, "EAT THIS, YOU'LL DIE!" Here is one of my all-time favorites, a strawberry and rhubarb compote that she prepared when I was a child. I've included both her stovetop and Instant Pot versions of the dish.