lemon-almond cookies

I would pick a thick slice of a good tea cake over a cookie any day but come Christmas time, even I cannot resist the urge to bake up some pretty treats.  The constant stream of cut-out, stamped, filled, decorated and glazed beauties I see on social media is just too much for me, and it becomes only a matter of time before I am pulling some butter from the fridge and putting the mixer to work.

I made these lemon shortbreads for the first time last year and it instantly became a favorite.  Mildly sweet with a lemony tang from the dried lemon slices and lemon zest, these were a perfect addition to the cookie tin.  And although this year, the cookie spread was going to be much scaled down, I knew these sh0rtbreads were definitely on the list.  They had been on my mind for so long that I remember picking up the dried lemon slices from Trader Joes way back in September.

I haven’t tried drying the lemon slices at home because I have easy access to these from the store but am planning to make them at home some time……maybe over summer.  You could possibly substitute dried orange or other citrus slices too.

The recipe is a super simple one where you simply mix the dough, roll and cut.  There is no chilling required and the dough is very easy to work with.  And all you need is a light dusting of powdered sugar in the end to give it that final festive touch.  Wishing all who celebrate a very Merry Christmas and best wishes for a Happy New Year!

Print Recipe

Lemon-Almond Cookies

Serves: approx. 20 cookies (2-inch)

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1/4 cup fine sugar
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar plus more for dusting
• a pinch of salt
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• zest of 1 lemon
• approx. 20 dried lemon slices (I get mine from Trader Joe's)
• water
• 2-inch cookie cutter

Instructions

1

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F

2

Cream butter and fine sugar in the stand mixer or with a hand beater.

3

Add the lemon zest and beat for 30 seconds more.

4

Add the all-purpose flour, almond flour, powdered sugar, salt and lemon juice and mix just until the dough comes together. It might look dry but you should be able to press a handful into a ball. Add a few drops of water if needed.

5

Transfer onto the counter and roll to about 1/4-inch thickness.

6

Cut circles with the cookie cutter, dampen each circle very lightly with water and press the lemon slice into it.

7

Transfer onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet with a spatula.

8

Gather the scraps, re-roll and repeat until all the dough is used up

9

Bake at 325 degrees F for 18 to 20 mins, just until the edges start to turn golden brown

10

Cool completely on a wire-rack and dust with powdered sugar.