Almond Shortbread Cookies

Submitted by Jan Marie

"This is my version of a wonderful recipe from Washington State Bed & Breakfast Cookbook 2nd edition, Carol Faino & Doreen Hazledine. I've experimented with adding lemon, orange or lime zest (using a microplaner) and all three versions are great. This has got to be the easiest recipe to make, and quick too. They literally melt in your mouth and everyone who eats them asks for the recipe. Enjoy!"

 

• Ready In: 24mins
• Ingredients: 7
• Yields: 36-48 cookies
• Serves: 18

ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 cups flour
• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 1 cup ground almonds (about 1/4 lb almonds with the skin on, Note, I chop mine into chunks first with a knife, then grind)
• 1 1 tablespoon grated orange zest (optional) or 1 tablespoon grated lime zest (optional)
• powdered sugar, for dusting

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Combine butter, salt and sugar in mixer with paddle attachment.
3. Add ground almonds and mix together.
4. Mix into firm dough and form into 1 ¼ inch ball.
5. Flatten with fingers.
6. Bake for 10-14 minutes. Best if baked light brown, not dark and crispy.
7. Cool on rack and dust with powdered sugar while still warm.

Reviews

[GardenGirl UK]

I added a couple of beaten eggs to this recipe and the cookies were not so crumbly - much easier to handle. Add a piece of slivered almond to the top of each cookie for a special effect. Yum!

 

[meriah]

First, these cookies are delicious. Second, the recipe doesnt say when to add the flour, so I added it with the ground almonds. I added a little orange extract since I had no zest. The cookies spread out alot, kind of like a lace cookie, and they are crumbly and delicats, so they were a little hard to handle, but quite delicious as I said. Maybe they would bake better to handle if I baked them in a square pan and cut into squares. Anyway loved the taste!! Thanks for the recipe.