Crunchy Toffee Crackle Cookies

I just made some of these cookies to take to with us when we have dinner at the home of friends tonight. My assignment was to bring some vanilla ice cream and a few cookies. I decided to bring these, as they are some of the best cookies I've ever tasted. Much as I love chocolate, I must say that these cookies are almost my all-time favorite.

CRUNCHY TOFFEE CRACKLE COOKIES

1 cup butter-flavor Crisco®
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup Skor® baking bits
Sugar for dipping

In mixing bowl,cream together shortening and sugar. Add egg and extracts. Sift together dry ingredients and gradually add to the creamed mixture, mixing thoroughly. Add the toffee bits, mixing with hands if necessary. Preheat oven to 350º.
Shape dough into 1” balls; dip tops in sugar. Place on parchment or teflon-lined sheets. Bake at 350º for 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

When I was a child, a bakery in our town made cookies that looked and tasted a lot like this. Over the years I tried to find a similar recipe but had no success. This one, which I improvised from another recipe I found, comes pretty close. As I baked these today, I started wondering if some butterscotch or praline flavoring (both available from King Arthur) substituted for the almond flavor might make these even more like the ones I remember...