Almond Shortbread Cookies with Orange

Closeup of almond orange shortbread cookies crowded together.

Almond Shortbread Cookies with Orange

A perfectly crisp, buttery cookie that's not overly sweet but packed with rich almond flavor. This almond shortbread recipe features the rich taste of almond flour and almond extract, complemented by a hint of citrus. Tender and full of flavor, these cookies are easy to roll, and cut with a cookie cutter.

NOTE: Prep time above is an estimate. This time can vary depending on baker experience.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Diet Vegetarian

Keyword Almond Shortbread Cookies

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 16

Rest Time 2 20

Total Time 3 6

Servings , 1/4 inch thick Cookies

Calories 75kcal

Author Traci York

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (225 grams) Unbleached All Purpose Flour I use Bob's Red Mill
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (76 grams) Super Fine Almond Flour I use Bob's Red Mill
1 tablespoon Corn Starch
1/4 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
3/4 cup (170 grams) Unsalted Butter 1 1/2 sticks at room temperature
1/4 cup (55 grams) Organic Cane Sugar
1/3 cup (40 grams) Powdered Sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon Orange Zest packed, from about 1 large orange
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Fresh Orange Juice fresh squeezed
2 teaspoons Pure Almond Extract

For Finishing:

3 tablespoons Slivered Almonds
1 3 ounce (85 grams) 70-80% Dark Chocolate Bar chopped small
1/2 teaspoon Coconut Oil solid

Instructions

Mix the Dough:

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the flour, almond flour, corn starch and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, cane sugar, powdered sugar, and orange zest.
Mix on medium for about 2 minutes or until smooth (not fluffy), stopping to scrape bowl down at least once.
Add the orange juice, and almond extract. Mix again on medium for about 30 seconds, or until incorporated. Scrape down bowl.
Add the flour mixture all at once, pulse to start, then mix on medium until the dough forms somewhat of a ball on the paddle but also, there will be dough sticking to the sides of the bowl, about 1 minute. Scrape the bowl down. The dough should be tacky and supple, but not sticky.

To Shape, Cut and Rest:

Transfer the cookie dough to your work surface (you shouldn't need any flour here, but if the dough is sticking, add a touch of flour). Knead the dough a few times until a mass forms. Divide it in half. Shape each piece into about 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) thick discs. Wrap snugly in parchment paper and refrigerate for two hours or up to two days.
To Freeze (optional): At this point, the dough can be frozen for up to two months. Be sure to double wrap the dough to prevent freezer burn.
Thaw overnight in the fridge then proceed.

To Cut and Pan:

Line two large sheet pans with parchment paper. Set aside. Make room in the refrigerator for your pans. Alternatively, you can rest one pan in the refrigerator while preparing or baking the other.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to set at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes to make rolling easier. Flour your work surface, pin and surface of dough. Beat the dough with the rolling pin a few times to condition the dough. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch (6 millimeters) thick.
Cut the cookies with a 1 3/4 inch (4.4 centimeter) cookie cutter, reflouring as needed to prevent sticking. If the dough starts cracking, gather what you've rolled, knead it a few times and beat it with the pin to condition it. Shape into a rough disc, reroll to 1/4 inch thick and cut. Gather the scraps and reroll and cut as needed.
Transfer cookie cutouts to the sheet pans. Space cookies at least 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) apart on the sheet pan.
Place the cookies in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes or 10 minutes in the freezer before baking (do not skip this step or the cookies will lose their shape).

To Bake:

Arrange a baking rack in the center of the oven and one directly underneath. Preheat the oven to 325 Fahrenheit (160 Celsius) while the cookies are resting.
Bake at 325 Fahrenheit 14-17 minutes, or until the cookies are just turning lightly golden around the edges and underneath. If baking two pans at once, rotate the pans front to back and top to bottom halfway through baking.
Allow the cookies to cool on the sheet pan for about 3-4 minutes, then transfer cookies to a cooling rack and cool completely. They'll become crisp as they cool.
Store in a covered container at room temperature for up one week.

Finishing the Cookies:

Add the slivered almonds to a small skillet on medium heat. Toast, tossing the almonds frequently for about 8-10 minutes or until the almonds are fragrant and just turning golden. Transfer to a plate to cool. Chop fine. Set aside.
In a heatproof bowl, add the chopped chocolate and solid coconut oil. Heat in 10 second increments in the microwave stirring for at least 30 seconds in between each heating interval. Repeat this about 3-4 times. This helps melt the chocolate slowly and prevents it from overheating which can result in chocolate bloom (creamy color streaks from the cocoa butter in your chocolate). You want partially melted chunks at the end of stirring so that the mixture finishes melting, slowly.
Once melted, you can pipe chocolate over the cooled cookies using a zip lock bag or a triangle piece of parchment paper shaped into a cone with a very small hole cut into the tip. While the chocolate is still 'wet,' sprinkle with chopped almonds.

Notes

Kitchen Tools: For accurate oven temperature monitoring, I recommend a digital oven thermometer. Weigh your ingredients using a digital kitchen scale for the best outcome (affiliate link).

Recipe adapted from my Bourbon Vanilla Bean Shortbread Cookies.

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