Recipes Inspired by the Mothers of Celebrity Chefs and Cookbook Authors

In honor of Mother's Day, we have each dedicated a recipe to our respective mothers-in-law utilizing a favorite ingredient. We hope these will be useful to you.

"My mother-in-law, Jeanette Barker, is a big fan of anything made with marzipan or almond paste. I've created these cookies for her and suggest serving them as an accompaniment to lightly sugared spring strawberries tossed with a bit of amaretto and topped with a dollop of whipped cream."

• 3/4 cup almond paste, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
• 8 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup crushed, blanched, sliced almond pieces
• Additional sugar for shaping cookies

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine almond paste with sugar and mix well. Add butter and vegetable oil and beat till smooth. Add egg. Add salt, almond extract and vanilla extract. Scrape down bowl. Add baking soda, cornstarch and flour and mix to combine.

3. Form dough into walnut sized balls and roll in crushed almonds. Place 2 1/2 inches apart on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Dip the bottom of a glass or small measuring cup in sugar and press down on each cookie to flatten.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 18-20 minutes until cookies are lightly golden.