• 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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