ALMOND-ORANGE COOKIES

Almond-Orange Cookies image

Provided by Martha Stewart

Yield Makes 90 cookies

Number Of Ingredients 8

5 ounces whole blanched almonds, toasted (1 cup)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of ground nutmeg
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for rolling
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped, pod reserved for another use
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

Steps:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Pulse almonds, flour, salt, and nutmeg in a food processor until fine crumbs form.
Cream butter and confectioners' sugar with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla seeds and orange zest, then almond mixture. Refrigerate for up to 1 hour.
Roll dough into 1/2-inch balls. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing cookies 1 inch apart. Bake until cookies are set and bottoms are light golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cookies cool on sheets on wire racks. Just before serving, roll in confectioners' sugar.