blackberry almond shortbread
And frankly, besides holding out on you err, summer holding out on you, I have not been so kind in sharing the brown butter shortbread, or the pecan shortbread or the other various butter crumbly light cookies that have passed through this kitchen — most of them not even making it to the cookie jar before being consumed. And seeing as it is after all summer, and I am trying to get back in your good graces I decided to share with you these blackberry, orange scented, almondy shortbread cookies, along with a new vow to never leave you hanging again.
This shortbread is a relatively easy, short on prep/bake time especially for a non-drop cookie. A quick mix of the basics — butter, sugar and a few flavorings, topped with a few summer berries, a sprinkle of sugar and popped into the oven until barely golden and you get crumbly, barely sweet (the variety of desserts we seem to be extra obsessed with lately) and above all, perfect for mopping up your doldrums in this endless wet, thunderous weather.
One Year Ago: Mache Salad with Radishes and Mozzarella and Asparagus with Shallots and Almonds
Blackberry Almond Shortbread
Barely adapted from Martha Stewart
Makes 24 squares
20 tablespoons (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (4 ounces) whole blanched almonds
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups plus 4 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar, plus more for dusting
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 pint blackberries
1 orange zest, freshly grated
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a rimmed baking sheet roughly 9 x 13 — bigger for thinner cookies, smaller for thicker cookies. Line with parchment, letting the edges overhang making a parchment sling. Butter lining and dust with flour tapping out excess. Arrange nuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden,
15 minutes; let cool. Grind in a food processor until fine.
Whisk together flour, nuts, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl; set aside. Put 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar and the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in almond extract. Add flour mixture in 2 batches; mix until a crumbly dough forms.
Reserve 2 cups of dough, and press the remaining dough onto bottom of pan. Scatter berries evenly on top of dough. Sprinkle with zest. Dust the dough, berries and zest with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Crumble reserved dough on top. Bake until golden about 30 minutes.
Using the parchment overhang, remove the cookie from the pan and let cool on a wire rack. Cut into squares; dust with sugar.
Spoon More: Bar Cookies, Blackberries, Cookies, Fruit, Summer
Oh how I love shortbread! Thanks for sharing this gorgeous recipe… :)
These looks yummy! I love blackberries + orange together, it’s my second favorite to cranberries + orange.
I absolutely love blackberries and shortbread…putting them together is genius!
I loved the Blackberry Almond Shortbread. Thanks for sharing this recipe and also the actual stuff with us at Apex. thanks Josh for introducing us to a very enjoyable and delectable item.
By the way, I was thinking of making a small adition to this. How about adding grated coconut (or coconut shavings) to this on the top?
Jay — wonderful idea. The coconut will take on a toasted flavor and will be crunchy as it is baked, or you could mix it into the dough if you prefer a more pure coconut flavor. I mean, hey, you could really go all out and swap the almond extract with coconut flavoring if you like that combo more! Have fun with it, let us know how it turns out!
Can’t wait to make these! I just got the stuff from the store this morning!
Wow. These look amazing. I have a home full of fresh picked strawberries. Think this recipe would work with strawberries?
I have never made shortbread, but I am giving it a whirl with this recipe. It just looks so yummy.
Rivki — I don’t see why it wouldn’t.
This looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it!
You have carefully chosen the ingredients. The recipe and the picture are wonderful! I’ll definitely spoon this one.