From 1910:
Cream together a cupful of butter and 2 of granulated sugar. Beat 2 eggs very light — yolks and whites separately — and add the yolks to the creamed butter and sugar. Stir in ½ teaspoonful of nutmeg. Sift in 2 cupfuls of flour twice with a teaspoonful of baking powder and add, alternately, with the whipped whites. If not stiff enough for rolling, work in more flour. Roll into a sheet rather thicker than for ginger snaps; cut into rounds, brush the tops over with white of egg. Press the half of a split almond into the middle of each and sift rather coarse granulated sugar over it.
Do this before putting the cookeys into the baking pan, or the excess of sugar spilt over the edges of the cakes will burn on the bottom of the pan. Transfer carefully to the baker and set in a quick oven. They are very nice.