There is something about the delicateness of a good shortbread cookie that is symbolic to a cool spring morning. We don’t have very many of those in Texas but when they do come, it should be celebrated sitting on the porch with a cup of tea and a strawberry jam filled almond shortbread cookie.
These almond shortbread cookies make a wonderful canvas to feature our homemade Texas Strawberry Jam (click link for recipe!)Fresh lemon zest helps to brighten and balance out the sweetness of the cookie while the powdered sugar gives a simple and elegant decoration to the top.
Shortbread cookies are very simple to make and only require a few ingredients and a few minutes of mixing in the food processor. This dough does not have very much sugar and doesn’t have any leavening agents, no baking powder or baking soda. This gives us a nice flat cookie with a crisp edge and dense crumb that isn’t too sweet. It’s because of the low sugar content in this cookie that makes it a perfect pairing to sandwich our sweet homemade jam. Almond extract is a classic pairing for shortbread and is such an interesting flavor experience with the strawberry. It adds a sweetness without it feeling too sugary or overbearing on the palate. Add in the lemon zest to cut through the sweetness of the jam and you have a very pleasing cookie eating experience.
You can make this dough several days in advance and keep wrapped tightly in plastic wrap until ready to use. Depending on how humid it is where you are, you can also bake these a day or two in advance and keep them in a tight plastic container. If it is humid where you are, I would save these to bake sooner to when you want to serve them. Humidity can soften the shortbread and it will lose its crisp edge. Not a terrible thing if you prefer a softer cookie, but I love the texture contrast of the jam and crisp edges. Save the filling and powdered sugar dusting for the day you are going to serve them if you are baking the cookies ahead of time. These cookies will stay fresh for 3-4 days after assembly but trust me, they definitely won’t last that long.
These cookies would make a wonderful Mother’s Day treat with all the delicious jammy goodness they bring. Don’t forget, Mother’s Day is May 8th!
Almond shortbread
2 sticks of butter
1 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/2 cups of flour, plus extra flour to roll out
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 egg
1 egg yolk
Small pinch of salt
Zest of half a lemon
Powdered sugar for dusting
Add butter and sugar to a food processor and mix until well combined.
Add in eggs, lemon zest and almond extract, pulse until it is mixed.
Add flour and salt. Pulse until it just comes together in a dough, do not overmix.
Scoop out dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap flatten and stick in the fridge. You might need to knead it a little to get it together. Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes but longer is better, I usually leave it overnight.
Preheat oven to 350*F
Take out chilled dough from fridge and let sit on counter for 15-20 minutes. Flour a workspace and roll out dough to around ¼ inch thickness. Using a 3 inch fluted cookie cutter, cut out cookie dough and place on baking sheet.
Optional- You can cut out the centers of half of the cookies with a very small cutter. I had star cookie cutter from a Christmas cookie cutter pack that was about ½ inch wide I used to cut the centers out.
Knead very lightly and rework the remaining dough until they are all cut out.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are just starting to brown. Cool on a wire rack.
Place one teaspoon of homemade strawberry jam on one cookie and spread to almost the edge of the cookie. Then carefully press down another cookie on top to make a sandwich.
You can dust these with powdered sugar for an extra fancy touch but not required. These cookies shine well on their own.
Voila! The perfect springtime treats. Enjoy.
