Delicious with coffee, you'll find versions of this shortbread throughout most of South-Eastern Europe.
Photographs: Natasha Liviero
Text: Natasha Liviero
Almond Shortbread
(Makes approximately 60 biscuits)
Ingredients:
295g ground almonds
35g almond nibs
230 cake flour
75g castor sugar
226g cold butter, cubed
160g confectioners sugar
Method:
Set oven to 1500C
Grease two baking trays.
Toast the almond flour in a pan until lightly browned and fragrant. Set aside to cool.
Toast the almond nibs in the same pan until lightly golden. Set aside to cool.
Sieve the flour into a large bowl and add the cooled almond flour and sugar. Mix to combine.
Add the cold, cubed butter, and with your fingers, work it into the dry ingredients until the mixture re-sembles sea sand.
Add the cooled almond nibs and bring the mixture together, forming a ball. At this point, you can wrap the dough in cling wrap and refrigerate for a few days.
Divide the dough into eight pieces and roll into long strips approximately 1.5cm in diameter.
Cut each strip into 6cm lengths and gently shape into crescents. Place each crescent onto a baking tray, approximately 3cm apart.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until light golden brown. Wait a few minutes before removing the short-bread onto a cooling rack as it breaks easily when hot.
While still warm, roll each shortbread in the confectioner's sugar and set it aside to cool completely.
Roll the cooled shortbread in confectioners sugar once again. Store in an airtight container.
Sieve a light dusting of confectioners sugar over the shortbread before serving.
Note:
For a less sweet option, only roll the shortbread in confections sugar once completely cooled. Then, tap lightly to remove excess sugar and store.
If you find it difficult to shape crescents, roll equal-sized balls, flatten slightly and bake as directed.
You can substitute almond nibs for almond slivers, roughly chopped.