Nana’s Almond Shortbread Cookies are a spring classic that my Nana has made for as long as I can remember. I love their crisp, delicate, buttery shortbread texture, with the sweet nuttiness from the almonds! They are so quick and easy to make, smell heavenly out of the oven, and perfectly round out any Easter dessert table! The gentle crunch and sparkle from the sanding sugar adds a whimsical touch to these super simple, classic cookies.
These cookies take me back to when I was 5 years old. My paternal grandmother (I call her Nana) is a wonderful cook and baker, and spring is a time when trays of delicious cookies come out of her kitchen. These almond shortbread cookies in particular are one of my favorite types. The texture and delicate crispness plus the underlying almond scent make them irresistible.
Making the dough for these cookies is as easy as creaming together butter and sugar, then folding in ground almonds (not almond flour!), vanilla extract, and all purpose flour.
Prepping the cookies is simple as well. All it takes is scooping evenly sized balls of dough on to a parchment-lined baking sheet, then flattening the cookies with your fingers. Because these are shortbread-like, they wont spread or melt too much as they bake, so I press them into about the thickness I want the finished cookies to be.
Also, DON’T skip the sanding sugar. You want the sugar you dust the cookies with before baking to be more coarse than traditional granulated sugar. I like to sprinkle it on top then lightly press into the surface of the cookie. Not only does this sugar add a delightful extra crunch, but it adds dimension and a little sparkle to the finished cookies.
Bake them, and you’re done! Prepare to fill your kitchen with the delicate scent of almond and vanilla. These cookies come out perfect, every time. There’s nothing better with a cup of tea, as an afternoon snack, warm for dessert, or crumbled over ice cream. Trust me, make more than you think you want.
I think Nana would be proud.
I hope you love Nana’s Almond Shortbread Cookies as much as I do! If you make this recipe, leave a comment and let me know what you thought or feel free to ask a question! I’d also love to see what you made! Tag me in your food pics #fortheperfectbite on Instagram.
Nana’s Almond Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup salted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup finely ground almonds (not almond flour)
- ½ tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- white sanding sugar (coarse)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
- Cream together the room temperature butter and sugar until fluffy and smooth. Mix in the finely ground almonds, and vanilla extract until combined.
- Slowly incorporate the flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough is uniform and smooth.
- Scoop 1 inch balls of dough onto a prepared baking sheet, spaced 2 inches apart. Use your fingers to flatten the cookies to about 1/2 inch thick. These can be rustic!
- Finally, dust the top of the cookies with sparkling sanding sugar.
- Bake the cookies 9-10 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown.
- Serve warm, preferably with milk!
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One Response
Amazing!!!!
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