WARNING!

Do not make these if you are on a diet.

Even if you aren't, hide them from yourself. As for me, as soon as they're cool I store these in my basement freezer so that if I am tempted to get one I at least have to walk down and up a flight of stairs.

These ultra-buttery, pleasurably sweet, satisfyingly crispy cookies are monstrously difficult to resist. 

The inspiration for the recipe -- Dutch Butter cookies -- thanks to a friend, Ro Dekker, z"l, who passed away many years ago. She was a brave, smart, funny, good and righteous woman. She and her children escaped on the last boat out of Holland to America in World War II. (Her husband Mauritz, z"l, was already in the United States.) Everyone else in her family stayed behind and perished in the Holocaust.

I will always think of Ro when I eat these.

dutch butter cookies (Jan Hagels)

• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

• 1 large egg, beaten

• 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

• 3/4 cup sliced almonds

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13”x9” cookie sheet with parchment paper and butter the parchment paper (or use spray). Beat the butter, brown sugar, lemon peel and 1 tablespoon of the egg in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix at medium speed for about 2 minutes or until well blended. Add the flour and beat at medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until a uniform dough has formed. Place the dough on the parchment paper and press to completely cover the entire pan. Be sure to make the dough as even as possible. Use a small rolling pin or tumbler to make the dough even. Brush the entire surface of the dough with the remaining egg. Scatter the almonds evenly on top of the dough. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar evenly over the almonds. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until the surface is golden brown. While still warm, cut the cookies in 4 equal parts lengthwise and widthwise, to make 16 large cookies. (Or cut into smaller pieces.)

Note: pizza cutter works well for cutting

Makes 16 cookies