Best Almond Shortbreads Recipes

ALMOND SHORTBREADS

Steps:

• 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. Dip 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.

KOURAMBIETHES (GREEK ALMOND SHORTBREADS)

Steps:

• Gently melt the butter over low heat in a small heavy-based saucepan; without stirring or shaking the pan. Carefully pour the clear butter into another container, leaving the white sediment in the pan to be discarded. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 325 and line two baking trays with parchment paper.
• Grind the slivered almonds to a medium fine meal.
• In a bowl, sift the flour and baking powder together.
• Using an electric mixer, beat the chilled butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the icing sugar and combine well. Add the egg yolk, vanilla, and ouzo and beat until just combined. Fold in the flour, ground almonds and the almond meal.
• Shape heaped tablespoons of mixture into crescents, place on the baking trays and bake for 12 minutes, or until lightly colored.
• Remove from the oven and dust liberally with icing sugar. Leave to cool on the trays for 10 minutes.
• Line a baking tray with parchment paper and dust the paper with icing sugar. Lift the warm biscuits onto this and dust again with the icicng sugar. When the biscuits are cool, dust them once again with the icing sugar before storing them in an airtight container.

APRICOT ALMOND SHORTBREADS

Steps:

• Make purée:
• In a small heavy saucepan simmer purée ingredients, covered, 10 minutes. In a food processor purée mixture until smooth. Purée may be make 1 week ahead and chilled, covered.
• Make brandied cream:
• In a small bowl fold brandy and sugar into whipped cream and chill, covered.
• Transfer purée and brandied cream to separate pastry bags fitted with 1/4-inch star tips. Pipe cream into shells until level with tops and pipe a 1/2-inch-high mound of purée on top.
• Sprinkle desserts with confectioners' sugar and garnish with almonds.

ALMOND CARAMEL SHORTBREADS

Steps:

• For the Shortbread:.
• Preheat your oven to 350.
• prepare a 9" x 13" pan with either flour and butter, or a piece of parchment paper pressed into the pan and up the sides slightly. (I use parchment).
• Cream your butter and sugar together.
• scrape the bowl and add yolks.
• scrape the bowl again, making sure the yolks are mixed in, but don't over mix.
• Add your spices and one cup of flour, mix briefly until just combined, then add your second cup of flour.
• Your dough should be moist and clumpy, dump this into your pan and press to fit in an even layer, with your fingertips. this doesn't have to be perfect.
• Bake for 15-20 min, until just set and lightly browned at edges.
• Prep your ingredience for the caramel as you put the shortbread in the oven.
• Put everything except the almonds into a heavy bottomed sauce pan.
• when you pull the short bread out of the oven, turn the burner on medium, and heat until the mixture is bubbly and starting to brown, stirring fairly constantly. Using a heat resistant spatula is great, so you can scrape along the bottom to prevent burning. this will take 5 min or so from everything melting.
• Turn off the heat and stir in your almonds until evenly coated.
• spread the whole mixture on top of the shortbread and pop it back into the oven for another 15 to 20 minute.
• the mix will bubble in the oven, its done when the caramel starts to turn golden and the almonds at the edges start to toast.
• Let this cool for 20-30 min, then cut with a bench knife or a chefs knife. I like to cut them into triangles, but like brownies, you can go for whatever floats your boat on this end!