Almond Shortbread Stars Food

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.

ALMOND SHORTBREAD I

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat butter with 1/2 cup sugar and almond extract until light and fluffy. With a wooden spoon, stir in flour until smooth and well combined. Divide dough into 2 parts. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• On lightly sugared surface, roll out dough, one part at a time, about 1/2-inch thick. Cut out cookies with a 1 1/2-inch round cookie cutter. Place on ungreased cookie sheet 1 inch apart. Make an indentation in the center of each cookie with the end of a wooden spoon.
• Bake in preheated oven until cookies are light golden brown around the edges, 25 to 30 minutes. While still warm, roll in sugar. Cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an air-tight container.

ALMOND SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the beaten egg and extract. Add the flour, ground almonds and lemon zest and mix until the dough comes together.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead into a ball. Divide the dough in half and then roll each half into a log, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour (the dough can be frozen at this point for a later use).
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Remove the dough from the plastic wrap and slice into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Place the cookies onto the prepared baking sheets and bake until golden brown at the edges, about 15 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for 3 or 4 minutes before transferring to wire cooling racks to cool completely, or just eat warm from the oven.

SKILLET ALMOND SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with aluminum foil and spray the foil with cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, stir 1 1/2 cups of the sugar into the melted butter. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Sift the flour and salt onto the batter. Add the flavoring and stir well. Pour the batter into the skillet. Top with sliced almonds and the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake until slightly brown on top, about 35 minutes. Cool the shortbread in the skillet. When cool, use the foil to lift the shortbread from the skillet; remove the foil before serving.

ALMOND SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven: Set the oven to 350°F. Generously butter a 9-inch pie pan, or a tart pan with a removable rim.
• Bake the shortbread: Set the pan on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake for 25 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown. Cover loosely with foil and continue to bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the dough feels firm and looks golden. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. While the shortbread is still warm, carefully cut the wedges again to make sure they're separated. Leave in the pan until completely cool.
• Store the shortbread: Store the shortbread in an airtight tin for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar before serving, if you like.

LEMON POSSET WITH SUGARED-ALMOND SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Make the posset first. Put the cream in a big saucepan with the sugar and gently heat, stirring, until the sugar has melted. Bring to a simmer and bubble for 1 min. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon zest and juice. Divide between pots or bowls, cool to room temperature, then carefully cover and chill for at least 3 hrs, or up to 24 hrs.
• To make the shortbread, heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Whizz the butter and flour together in a food processor until no lumps of butter remain (or rub together with your fingertips). Tip into a bowl and stir in the sugar, ground rice and almonds. Line the base of a roughly 22cm square tin with baking parchment. Tip in the mixture and press it down firmly, making it as flat as you can. Dredge with more sugar and bake for 25-30 mins until pale golden. Cool in the tin.
• Cut the shortbread into shards and serve with the possets and little spoons.

ALLISON'S HONEYED ALMOND-CHERRY SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Prepare the macerated cherries: Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, and toss to combine. Let stand for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
• Make the honeyed almonds: Cook honey and butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and deep amber, about 5 minutes. Add almonds, salt, and vanilla. Stir to coat completely. Remove from heat, and spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Let cool, about 30 minutes, then coarsely chop.
• Make the dough: Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add macerated cherries, and mix until combined. Add flour and salt, and mix until dough just comes together, about 1 minute. Add honeyed almonds, and mix until just combined.
• Turn out dough onto a piece of parchment, and form into a 2 1/2-by-16-inch rectangular log, pressing edges with a ruler to shape; wrap in parchment. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or up to 2 days. (Dough can be frozen for up to 3 months.) Cut dough into 1/4-inch-thick slices, and arrange on parchment-lined baking sheets. Chill in refrigerator for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Bake until cookies are golden and set, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool completely on baking sheets.

LEMON & ALMOND SHORTBREAD BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a 20cm square loose-bottomed cake tin with baking parchment. Tip the butter, sugar and a pinch of salt into a large bowl, and beat with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Add the flour, ground almonds and milk. Use a wooden spoon and then your hands to bring the mixture together to form a dough.
• Use your fingers to spread the shortbread dough over the bottom of the tin, right into the corners. Bake for 35 mins until golden.
• Meanwhile, prepare the lemon topping. Whisk the lemon juice and eggs together in a jug. In a bowl, combine the sugar, flour and zest. Strain the lemon mixture through a sieve onto the sugar mixture and whisk to combine.
• When the tin is cool enough to handle, wrap the outside tightly in foil - this will prevent the lemon mixture seeping out. Pour over the shortbread and return to the oven for 15 mins. Scatter over the almonds and bake for another 5 mins until the topping has set. Cool completely in the tin, then lift out, dust with icing sugar and cut into bars. Will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

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.

ALMOND SHORTBREAD STARS

Steps:

• Butter an 8 1/2-inch cake or springform pan; set aside. Sift together flour and salt into a small bowl; set aside. Place butter in bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Cream until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add sugar, and continue to beat until very light in color and fluffy, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, about 2 minutes more. Add vanilla, if using. Add flour mixture, and combine on low speed, scraping with spatula if necessary, until flour is just incorporated and dough sticks together when squeezed with fingers.
• Pat dough into prepared pan. If rolling out dough to cut into shapes, form into a flat disk; wrap in plastic. Chill until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Puree 1/2 cup blanched almonds; add to creamed butter and sugar with 1 teaspoon almond extract. Roll on lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into star shapes; chill. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Bake until firm and just starting to color, 15 to 20 minutes. Toss cooled shortbread in confectioners' sugar.