This dessert recipe was part of the Nourishing Traditions Valentine’s Day meal. It is a really good gluten-free recipe for shortbread cookies. Not only did everyone love this recipe, it makes a good little side dish to a pudding, ice cream, or mousse. Or topped with berries and whipped cream. In the picture to the right, this shortbread is the darker, shorter one that is decorating the lemon mousse. My sister-in-law preferred this recipe over the non-NT shortbread, thanks Heather!
These are extremely rich and flavorful, so little cookies are going to be just fine. I was surprised how satisfying one little piece was.
This recipe does not completely rid me of the need for typical shortbread (I’m still trying to develop NT version of shortbread – coming soon), but it sure comes close!
Below in the recipe directions are some things not included in Nourishing Traditions, about how to bake these for the best success on this recipe. You may want to make a note in your copy of NT.
Tips on How to make Hazelnut Almond Shortbread Cookies:
- You can use all hazelnuts, all almonds, or a combination. I did half and half, and I thought it worked out well.
- I made flat bar cookies in an eight by eight pyrex pan. Another thing that would work well is forming a log, refrigerating the ‘dough’ and then cutting off small cookies. You will need to adjust the baking time (and only bake it once, not twice as it says below)
- My nut ‘flour’ was pretty chunky. I mean, the nuts were chopped up using my food processor but it was not the consistency of flour, more like coarse cornmeal. This worked out fine, and if the nuts were finer it may even turn out better.
- The butter should be very soft. Even then, your ‘dough’ may not completely come together. That is ok, just press it into the pan.
- You may get better results too if you let your dough sit on the counter in the foil lined pan for one hour before baking it. I know it sounds weird, but this lets the butter solidify or something. Chilling in the fridge is not needed though.
Rating: 4 forks (key)
Difficulty:
Easy if you have crispy nuts on hand
Page in NT: 575
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups crispy hazelnuts or almonds
1 cup arrowroot powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup Rapadura
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
optional:
3 cups fresh berries
2 cups whipped cream
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a 11 inch by 7 inch Pyrex pan (or 9×9) with aluminum foil. Make sure the two opposite ends are long enough for you to grab onto and pull the shortbread out of the pyrex. [TNC: in NT Sally says to butter & flour a tart pan, but I find this easier, especially if you want to make bars or cookies. Plus you don't have to clean the pan.].
Process the nuts in a food processor until it is a fine meal. Add arrowroot, butter, salt, Rapadura and vanilla and process until well blended. Press the mixture into the foil lined pan, and bake for 30 minutes at 300 degrees.
Take the shortbread out but leave the oven on. Let the shortbread cool for about 10 minutes. Pull the shortbread out of the pan using the foil handles, try not to crack it too much. Place the shortbread on a cookie sheet and flatten out the foil. Cut the shortbread into wedges, bars, squares, whatever you want. Separate each cut piece a little with a knife, and bake for another 15 minutes in your 300 degree oven.
Let these completely cool before trying to cut them in even smaller pieces or serve them.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Love the shortbread V for Victory – you will get Nourishing Traditions cracked! I’d never really used arrowroot before I came across this book – I now use it for all sorts of things.
I wonder about the foil–I try not to use it in cooking because it’s aluminum. I think a wide strip of parchment paper would work–butter the sides of the pan well.