Almond Butter Shortbread With Grape Glaze Recipes

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.

RASPBERRY FILLED ALMOND SHORTBREAD WITH ALMOND GLAZE

Steps:

• In a Medium Mixing Bowl (I prefer using a Plastic Bowl that has a lid).
• Cream Butter and Sugar.
• mix in the almond extract.
• Gradually mix in flour until the dough forms a ball.
• Cover and refrigerate for an hour for easier handling.
• Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.
• Roll into 1 1/2 inch balls and place on a ungreased cookie sheet.
• Using a wooden spoon handle make and indention in the middle of the ball.
• (I like using the knuckle on my first finger).
• Fill with the raspberry jam.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 14-18 minutes depending on your oven.
• Add aditional Raspberry jam if desired (I never do this).
• Remove and place on wire racks for cooling.
• Mix the Glaze ingredients.
• Using a butter knife (dipping it in the glaze Mixture) Letting the glaze run off the butter knife, Zig Zag the mixture across the cookies creating a continuing Z.

VANILLA ALMOND GLAZE

Steps:

• In a medium sized bowl mix all ingredients together until smooth. Add more milk for desired consistency. You may also use regular milk, but I must say that evaporated milk gives a WAY better taste!
• Drizzle over desired desserts.

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.