Almond Shortbread Stars 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.

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 CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the cookies in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, and process until fine crumbs form. Add about 3/4 cup almonds with the sugar and salt; process until fine crumbs form. Add the butter, and process until the mixture comes together.
• Coarsely chop the remaining almonds, and stir into the crust mixture. Press into the bottom and sides of 2 8-inch pie plates to form a crust, and bake until they are just turning golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

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 II

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and confectioners' sugar until very light. Gradually add the cornstarch, all purpose flour and nutmeg. Stir until well blended. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead for a few turns. Divide the mixture into 2 parts. Roll each part into a roll about 6 inches (15 cm) long. Wrap the rolls in plastic wrap or wax paper, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. These can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
• Unwrap the rolls and slice into 1/2 inch thick slices. Place onto the prepared cookie sheets. Gently press an almond onto the top of each cookie.
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven. When cookies are cooled, store in an airtight tin to preserve crispness.

ALMOND RASPBERRY STARS

Steps:

• Cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in extracts. Gradually beat flour into creamed mixture. Shape into a ball; refrigerate, covered, for 15 minutes. , Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4-in. thickness. With floured cookie cutters, cut dough into equal numbers of 2-1/2-in. and 1-1/2-in. stars. Combine almonds, sugar and cinnamon. Brush small stars with egg white; immediately sprinkle with almond mixture. Leave large stars plain. , Place all stars 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets, using separate sheets for the small and the large stars. Bake just until tips begin to brown, about 10 minutes for small stars and 12 minutes for large. Cool completely on wire racks., To assemble, spread enough jam over large stars to cover centers. Top with small stars; press lightly (jam should show around edge of small stars). Let jam set before storing cookies in an airtight container.