Ingredients
Almond Shortbreads
Pair these rich shortbreads with a cordial of sherry for an elegant holiday
toast.
Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: 18 wedges
Ingredients
1/2 cup raw almonds with skins, plus about 18 whole almonds for decorating
2/3 cup sugar, plus more for top
14 tablespoons unsalted butter (7 ounces, 1 3/4 sticks), softened, cut into
pieces
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 large egg white, beaten
Special equipment
9-inch tart fluted pan with a removable bottom
Instructions
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Blend and pulse the 1/2 cup nuts in a food processor with the sugar until
mixture resembles coarse sand. (If there are a couple small chunks of nuts
that is fine.) Add the butter, vanilla and almond extracts and the salt, and
pulse until creamy. Add the flour and continue to pulse to make a soft dough
Turn the dough out into a 9-inch tart pan and spread it out evenly with an
off-set spatula. Di p the spatula in a little warm water to help smooth and
even the surface of the shortbread. Cover and freeze until firm, about 20
minutes.
Put the tart pan on a baking sheet and dock (prick) the dough all over with
a fork. Generously sprinkle the top of the shortbread with sugar. Toss the
remaining whole almonds in the egg white; evenly arrange and press the nuts
into the dough around the edge of the pan. Bake until golden brown and set,
about 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Cool the short bread in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Carefully remove
the tart ring and cut the shortbread with a sharp knife into wedges, each
with a nut. Cool shortbreads on a rack completely. (Alternatively present
the shortbread as 1 large cookie. Cool the shortbread in the pan completely
and remove the tart ring. Cut the shortbread into wedges as desired.)
Serve. Store in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days.
