[Photograph: Carrie Vasios]

You know that scene in Willie Wonka where the gum-chewing, smart-talking Violet insists on trying an experimental chewing gum that tastes like a three course meal? And then during the last course, blueberry pie, she actually becomes a blueberry and has to be rolled to the juicing room where she may or may not be drained before she bursts and dies? You do? Good. Because that scene has haunted me since I was a child.

You see, I love, love, love blueberries. And when three pints or hell three slices of pie disappears shockingly fast down the hatch I sometimes wonder, "How many blueberries does one have to eat before they end up in the squeezing room?"

Being compulsive as I am about blueberries, I was always a little put out that there was no good way to marry them with my other love: cookies. And then someone gave me this recipe and I became very, very happy. These are soft and light cookies. The original recipe calls for frozen berries, but in my opinion only fresh will do. I've found that frozen berries release more water and create a soggier cookie, and, though many people claim otherwise, I feel there's just no matching the taste of in-season fruit. For a little something extra, the batter is scented with almond extract and mixed with slivered almonds.

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Blueberry Almond Cookies »