Bear Cookies with Almonds

Mix 150 g of softened butter with 100 g of powdered sugar until smooth. Add the egg, 1 tsp of vanilla extract and a pinch of salt, and mix until combined. Sift in 280 g of flour and stir.

Wrap the dough in cling film, flatten it into a disk and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Roll out the dough to 5 mm (3/16 in) thick and cut out bears with a cookie cutter. Gather the scraps, roll out again and cut out more bears.

Place a whole almond in the center of each bear and carefully fold the paws over it, so the bear looks like it's hugging the nut.

Place the bears on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated oven at 170°C (350°F) for 12–15 minutes.

Let them cool completely, then draw the eyes and nose with melted chocolate or icing.