In my search for the Best Ever Almond Cookie, I was aided by a number of readers, by cookbook author June Kam Tong and her friend Brenda Leong, and by my cookbook collection.

Many of the almond cookie recipes sent to me were sketchily written.

I chose, with success, to use the classic cookie- and cake-making technique no matter what the recipe suggested: cream shortening and sugar, add egg and liquid flavoring, mix dry ingredients and add gradually.

Since the process of forming the cookie is the same for each of these recipes, I've outlined that in a separate note on this page.

Brenda Leong is renowned in the See Dai Do Chinese Society for her almond cookies. She makes them to give out as prizes when they hold competitions, and to take to board meetings, and she teaches members how to make the cookies in classes she gives periodically. (She's working on a walnut cookie to teach members about right now.) This is my favorite of all the recipes I tried, and after making it three times, I can testify to its reliability.

Here's her recipe:

BRENDA LEONG'S ALMOND COOKIES

• 1 cup butter-flavored solid shortening (she uses Crisco)

• 1 large egg at room temperature

• 1 tablespoon almond extract

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• Red food coloring blanched almonds.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Using an electric mixer (preferably a hands-free stand mixer), cream shortening and sugar very well. Add egg and almond extract and cream again until built up and smooth. Mix together flour, baking soda and salt and gradually add to batter while mixing. Form and decorate cookies with food coloring or almonds on ungreased cookie sheet. These cookies spread. Be sure to place them 3 inches apart. Bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Makes about 30 cookies.

• Per cookie: 120 calories, 7 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 85 mg sodium, 13 g carbohydrate, 0 fiber, 5 g sugar, 1 g protein

Here is a version of the recipe given in Hawaiian Electric Co.'s "100 Years of Island Cooking." I received at least a dozen recipes in the same 'ohana. This is the one I liked best.

HECO-STYLE ALMOND COOKIES

• 3 cups flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 1/4 cups solid shortening

• 11/3 cups sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 teaspoon almond extract (more or less, to taste)

• Red food coloring or blanched almonds

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. With an electric mixer, thoroughly cream shortening and sugar. Beat in egg and almond extract. Gradually add dry ingredients, beating between. Shape cookies, decorate and bake at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Makes 36 cookies.

• Per cookie: 140 calories, 8 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 70 mg sodium, 15 g carbohydrate, 0 g fiber, 7 g sugar, 1 g protein

I made this almond cookie recipe using peanut butter more out of curiosity than anything else. I was surprised that it came out so well, and that the peanut butter was such a muted presence. My husband said, "If I didn't know, I wouldn't know." This recipe also calls for lye water (sodium hydroxide), which aids in achieving the right crunchy texture and in causing the cookie to relax, spread and puff up a bit. The original cookie called for 2 cups vegetable oil instead of solid shortening but I had bad luck with oil-based recipes so switched to shortening. This would be best with creamy, not chunky, peanut butter.

ALMOND PEANUT COOKIES

• 2 cups solid shortening

• 2 cups sugar

• 1/4 cup peanut butter

• 1 egg

• 1 tablespoon almond extract

• 1 teaspoon lye water

• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 tablespoon water

• 4 cups flour

Red food coloring or blanched almonds

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. With an electric mixer, thoroughly cream together shortening and sugar. Beat in peanut butter, egg, almond extract and lye water. Dissolve baking powder and baking soda in water and beat in. Gradually beat in flour. Form cookies and decorate on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Makes 36 cookies.

• Per cookie: 220 calories, 13 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 100 mg sodium, 22 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 12 g sugar, 3 g protein