Almond Orange Shortbread Food

ORANGE AND ALMOND SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, then beat in the orange zest.
• Add the flour and ground almonds and mix to a soft dough. Chill for 15 minutes.
• Roll out the dough to about 3mm (1/8th in) thick and cut out the biscuits. Carefully transfer to a baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Chill for another 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 170℃ (160℃ fan)/375°F/gas mark 4.
• Bake in the centre of the oven for 12-15 minutes until pale golden. Allow to cool and harden for a few minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Dust with icing sugar if desired.

ALMOND-ORANGE SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Make the dough: In a mixer bowl, beat butter, sugar, almond extract, and salt until smooth. With mixer on low speed, add flour and orange zest; mix just until a dough forms. With a wooden spoon, rubber spatula, or your hands, gently mix in almonds.
• Freeze the dough: On a piece of waxed paper, form dough into a rectangular log, 12 inches long, 2 1/2 inches wide, and 1 inch thick. Wrap log in the paper, and freeze until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 3 months. If freezing longer than 1 day, wrap log again, in plastic wrap.
• Bake the shortbread: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Remove dough from freezer. (If dough has been in freezer a long time and is frozen solid, let it sit at room temperature 30 minutes so it slices without crumbling.)
• With a sharp knife, cut dough into 1/4-inch-thick slices; place on ungreased baking sheet at least 1 inch apart. Bake until edges just begin to turn golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet; transfer cookies to a rack to cool completely.

ALMOND-ORANGE SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• In a mixer or food processor bowl, beat butter, sugar, almond extract, and salt until smooth.
• With mixer on low speed, add flour and orange zest; mixt until dough forms.
• With a wooden spoon, rubber spatula, or your hands, gently mix in almonds.
• Cut piece of waxed paper--12" X 6".
• Roll dough into log shape (12" long by 2 1/2" wide and 1" thick. Place on waxed paper and wrap.
• Freeze until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 3 months.
• (If freezing longer than one day, wrap log again in double layers of plastic film.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Remove dough from freezer.
• With a sharp knife, slice into 1/4" thick slices; place on ungreased baking sheet at leat 1" apart.
• Bake until edges just begin to turn golden, about 20 minutes.
• DO NOT OVERBAKE.
• Cool 5 minutes on sheet; transfer to a rack to cool completely.

APRICOT-ORANGE SHORTBREAD BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter 9x9x2-inch metal baking pan; line bottom and sides of pan with parchment paper, extending over sides. Butter parchment. Mix preserves and orange liqueur in small bowl; set aside.
• Using electric mixer, beat 1 cup butter and sugar in large bowl until well blended. Beat in almond extract. Add flour and salt; beat just until blended. Transfer 1 cup of dough to another small bowl; add crumbled almond paste and mix with fingertips until small clumps form. Mix in 1/4 cup sliced almonds; set aside for topping.
• Press remaining dough evenly onto bottom of prepared pan. Spread preserves mixture evenly over. Using fingertips, coarsely crumble topping over preserves, then sprinkle 1/4 cup almonds over. Press topping lightly into preserves.
• Bake shortbread until top and crust edges are golden brown, about 1 hour. Cool completely in pan on rack. Using parchment paper as aid, lift shortbread from pan. Cut shortbread into 4 equal strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 8 small bar cookies. (Can be prepared ahead. Store in single layer in airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days or freeze up to 2 weeks.)

CRISP ORANGE SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Lightly oil a baking sheet. Beat the butter, then cream it with the sugar and orange zest until light. Stir in the flour and baking powder and mix together to form a dough.
• Divide the mixture into 10 balls, arrange on a baking sheet. Press each ball fl at with the tip of a round-bladed knife. Chill for 15 mins, then bake for 12-15 mins until light golden. Leave on the baking sheet for 2 mins before releasing with a palette knife. Slide onto a rack to cool. Will keep stored in an airtight container for up to a week.

ORANGE SHORTBREAD SQUARES

Steps:

• Will need one 10x15x1 inch pan, buttered and lined with buttered parchment or foil.
• Position oven rack in the middle of oven and preheat to 325°.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar, extract, zest, and salt; beat on medium speed until very light colored and fluffy, about 10 minutes.
• Add in the flour and mix in on lowest speed.
• Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a large rubber spatula to finish mixing the dough.
• Scrape the dough into the prepared pan and with lightly floured palm of your hands, press into all corners.
• Use the back of a spoon to smooth the top of the dough evenly, if necessary.
• With the tines of a fork, pierce the dough all over at ½ inch intervals.
• Bake the shortbread for about 25-30 minutes, until it is slightly puffed and firm.
• Remove the pan to a rack to cool until the shortbread is lukewarm-not completely cooled.
• Invert the shortbread from the pan onto a cutting board, and remove the paper.
• Using a ruler to mark, then cut the shortbread into 2-inch squares.
• Store between sheets of parchment or wax paper in a tin or plastic container with tight-fitting lid; may freeze for longer storage.

ORANGE SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Blend together butter, superfine sugar, zest, and salt in a bowl with a fork. Sift flour into butter mixture and blend with fork until mixture forms a soft dough.
• Transfer dough to an ungreased large baking sheet and pat into a 10- by 5-inch rectangle. Prick dough all over with fork and sprinkle with coarse sugar (if using), pressing it gently into dough with your fingertips to adhere. Score dough crosswise with back of a knife into 6 rectangles (do not cut all the way through), then score each rectangle into 2 triangles.
• Bake shortbread in middle of oven until edges are golden but center is pale, 12 to 17 minutes. Cool on baking sheet on a rack 10 minutes, then cut into 12 triangles along scored lines while still warm. Transfer triangles with a long spatula to a rack to cool completely.

ALMOND SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

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

ALMOND SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• With mixer beat butter and sugar until creamy.
• Beat in almond extract and salt.
• Mix in flour and blend into a soft dough by hand.
• Press dough into an ungreased 8x8" pan, top with almonds, pressing into dough bake 25-30 minutes until golden brown around edges.
• Use a dull knife to cut into squares while still warm when cool use a spatula to transfer slices to a rack to completely cool.