Almond and Lemon Shortbread Cookies

Almond and Lemon Shortbread Cookies : instructions

• Preparing the dough
  • 1
    Cut the butter into large cubes and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, or microwave it briefly on low power so that it’s easier to work with later.
  • 2
    Wash the lemon and grate the zest. In a mixing bowl, mix the zest with the sugar by hand to release its full flavor.
  • 3
    Add the butter and ground almonds, and mix with a wooden spatula.
  • 4
    Next, add the flour, egg, and baking powder. Mix well until the batter is smooth and even.
  • 5
    Dust a sheet of parchment paper with flour (I personally avoid using plastic wrap).
    Shape your dough into a rough cylinder of the desired diameter for your shortbread cookies (usually 3 or 4 cm).
    Roll the parchment paper around the cylinder to tighten it and even out the dough. Twist the sides of the roll to seal it.
    Refrigerate for one hour.
• Baking shortbread cookies
  • 6
    Preheat the oven to 170°C on the convection setting.
  • 7
    Unfold the parchment paper, and slice the roll of dough into pieces about half a centimeter thick.
  • 8
    At this stage, you have two options:
    - use a silicone shortbread mold to arrange your dough pieces,
    - or simply place them on a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
    Without a mold, they’ll end up more like little strips, but they’ll taste just as good!
  • 9
    Bake for 12 to 13 minutes.
    
    Remove the shortbread cookies from the oven immediately after baking; otherwise, they will become too hard and lose their flavor. They should just start to brown!
  • 10
    Let the shortbread cool before removing them from the baking sheet.
    They will stay crisp for several days if stored in a metal container.