Almond-Orange Shortbread

Keep the dough for this delicate, flavorful cookie in your freezer. Later, you can slice off just what you need from the frozen log of dough and bake.

Source
Everyday Food, July/August 2006
Almond-Orange Shortbread
  • prep 15 mins
  • total time 1 hour 30 mins
  • yield Makes 40

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar

  • 3/4 teaspoon almond extract

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

  • Grated zest of 1 orange (about 2 teaspoons)

  • 3/4 cup sliced almonds

Directions

  1. Step 1

    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.

  2. Step 2

    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.

  3. Step 3

    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.)

  4. Step 4

    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.

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Reviews (8)

  • cynat
    27 Dec, 2010

    I love these. The almond slices add a crunch. They are a perfect combination of flavors and really easy to make. I only left them in about 12 minutes because they started to get brown around the edges, so I would advise checking about that time since everyone's oven temp may vary.
  • kdmisslady
    3 Feb, 2010

    I made a double batch of these...baked off half of a roll, after 15 minutes they all started to burn!
  • smd1227
    2 Feb, 2010

    MarilyninMiami, I do the same thing, but I flatten the roll on all 4 sides to make it rectangular. It's very easy to double the batch to freeze one. I do it right in the same mixer bowl. This keeps very well in the freezer. Before baking, I put more sliced almonds on top for decoration and crunch. I always have this dough ready whenever anyone stops in.
  • verucalane
    12 Jan, 2009

    Best cookie ever!! Easy
  • Graybear
    30 Sep, 2008

    I found this recipe very easy to make!
    A 'Good Thing' when you are not very experienced in the kitchen. The cookies turned out great.
  • MarilynInMiamiFL
    12 Jun, 2008

    These are one of our favorite cookies. The flavor is amazing and they have become habit forming :) I made them for the group at our flying club, and they all wanted the recipe.... only difference is I roll the tube of dough into a 2 1/2 in roll and freeze so the cookies are ROUND instead of rectangular :) I also make a double batch and freeze one batch into short 6 inch rolls and just pop out one small roll when we want a single tray of cookies whenwe have company.
  • locust
    29 May, 2008

    wanted to add: really delicious ;-))
  • locust
    29 May, 2008

    I've tried these before from Everyday Food - they are easy to make
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