Preheat the oven to 350°F and set the oven racks in the oven's upper and middle thirds. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or use Silpat liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the bowl as necessary.

Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts. Add the flour mixture and almonds and mix at low speed until just combined.

Dust your hands lightly with flour, divide the dough evenly into two disks; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

Dust your hands with flour again and form each portion into logs about 3-inches wide and 3/4-inch tall directly on the lined baking sheets (if the dough is sticky, dust your hands with more flour as necessary). Form one log on each baking sheet.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back midway through, until the loaves are firm to the touch and golden around the bottom edges.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 20 minutes.

Turn the oven down to 325°.

Once cool, transfer the logs to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife and a sawing motion, cut the logs diagonally into generous 1/2-inch slices. (They will look a little undercooked in the middle.)

Arrange the cookies, cut side down, back on one of the lined baking sheets. It's not necessary to leave any space between the cookies.

Place slices back on the lined baking sheets and return them to the oven for about another 15 - 20 minutes (the longer they stay in the oven, the crispier they get). Turn them over at the halfway mark.

Let cool on the baking sheet completely before serving.