These buttery, flaky, melt-in-your-mouth almond shortbread cookies are dangerously simple and delicious. Made with just 8 ingredients and 1 mixing bowl, these gorgeous little gems couldn't pack more of a flavor punch.
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The dough of these sophisticated little cookies is very lightly sweetened and they're finished off with a gorgeous, hefty pinch of slivered almonds and crunchy raw sugar.
They're elegant enough to gift but easy enough to make on a Tuesday night for a snack (you'll want to). I could easily devour 20 of these babies over breakfast with giant cup of coffee.
Brown sugar gives these cookies a delicious caramelly undertone, and a quick brush of egg whites lends a beautiful golden-brown sheen.
Ingredients
These almond shortbread cookies are proof that you don't need a ton of ingredients to make an impressive baked good. With only eight ingredients, these cookies give the butter and almond ample room to shine.
- butter
- brown sugar
- almond extract
- salt
- flour
- egg white
- slivered almonds
- raw sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats, set aside.
2. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar at a moderate speed for 3-5 minutes, until fluffy and stiff peaks are beginning to form. Turn the speed down to low and add the almond extract and salt.
3. Gradually add the flour, about ⅓ add a time, using the dough hook attachment on a standing mixer or a wooden spoon to combine. The dough will be a little crumbly and tacky.
4. Form the dough into a ball, cover it, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. Using a floured rolling pin on a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out until it reaches about ⅛" thick.
- Cut the dough into your desired shapes and transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets with a spatula. Use a silicone pastry brush to brush the top of each cookie with egg white. Sprinkle the cookies with sliced almonds and raw sugar.
- Bake the cookies until they're just beginning to turn golden brown. Allow them to set on the cookie sheet for five minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
Note: The dough may try to resist being rolled and crumble a bit, just press it back together and gently roll it out smooth. After much trial and error, I landed on a very low-hydration dough, which makes for extra flaky and delicious buttery shortbread cookies.
Substitutions
- All-Purpose Flour - instead of all-purpose flour, try spelt flour for an added nutritional and flavor boost! Almond flour can also be substituted at a 1:1 ratio, but you may need to add 1-2 tablespoon of milk.
- Almond Extract - want your cookies extra almond-y and scrumptious? Feel free to add an additional ½ - 1 teaspoon of almond extract.
- Brown Sugar - I opted for an all-brown-sugar almond shortbread cookie for a nice, rounded-out caramelized flavor, but granulated sugar will work just fine in this recipe. Swap it out at a 1:1 ratio, or go half and half!
Variations
I love cutting these shortbread cookies into little gems, but squares, long rectangles, and circles are all equally as stunning.
Storage
Store these shortbread cookies in an airtight container for up to one week at room temp.
Freeze this cookie dough, tightly wrapped, for up to three months. Thaw the dough in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours before rolling and baking. Don't forget to label and date your dough!
Related
Looking for more sweets? Check these out:
Recipe
Almond Shortbread Cookies
Print RecipeIngredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 + ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 egg white lightly beaten
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
- ¼ cup sugar in the raw
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats, set aside.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar at a moderate speed for 3-5 minutes, until fluffy and stiff peaks are beginning to form. Turn the speed down to low and add the almond extract and salt.
- Gradually add the flour, about ⅓ add a time, using a wooden spoon to combine. The dough will be a little crumbly and tacky. Form the dough into a ball, cover it, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Using a floured rolling pin on a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out until it reaches about ⅛" thick. Cut the dough into your desired shapes and transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets. Brush the top of each cookie with egg white and sprinkle with sliced almonds and raw sugar.
- Bake the cookies until they're just beginning to turn golden brown. Allow them to set on the cookie sheet for five minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
Notes
- Store these shortbread cookies in an airtight container for up to one week at room temp.
- Freeze this cookie dough, tightly wrapped, for up to three months. Thaw the cookie dough in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours before rolling and baking. Make sure to label and date your dough!
- Instead of all-purpose flour, try spelt flour for an added nutritional and flavor boost! Almond flour can also be substituted at a 1:1 ratio, but you may need to add 1-2 tablespoon of milk.
- Feel free to add an additional ½ - 1 teaspoon of almond extract for a serious almond boost.
Nutrition
kitchenverve.com occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes on our site. This information is provided as a courtesy from online calculators and should be used only as an estimate. Although we attempt to provide the most accurate nutritional information possible, these figures will vary based on your chosen ingredients and cooking methods.
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