Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour whole almonds on a shallow baking sheet. Toast them lightly in the oven for 5-7 minutes. When they have cooled, chop them coarsely. And put to the side.
Mix maple syrup, melted butter, brandy, almond and vanilla extracts together in a large bowl until uniform.
Add chopped almonds and eggs and mix until combined.
Add white whole wheat flour, baking powder, and salt and mix just until combined. Cover dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
After dough has been refrigerated, preheat oven to 350 degrees. You will need to wet your hands to handle the dough because it will be sticky. Remove dough from bowl and separate it into two logs that are about 16 inches long and about 2 inches wide, placing it on a shallow baking sheet (I just use the one the almonds were on previously). At this point, my hands are always a little sticky. I wash the dough off my hands, wetting them again, then pat the logs so they have a smoother surface. This just makes for a prettier cookie. Bake until lightly golden, about 30 minutes.
Remove from oven, and when the logs are cool enough to handle, cut them into 1/2 inch slices, laying them cut side down on a baking sheet. Finish baking for additional 20-30 minutes. The cookies should feel mostly firm.
These store well in an airtight container for about 2 weeks at room temperature. (And taste even better after a couple of days.)