Almond Caramel Shortbreads Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Blend and pulse the 1/2 cup nuts in a food processor with the sugar until mixture resembles coarse sand. (If there are a couple small chunks of nuts that is fine.) Add the butter, vanilla and almond extracts, and the salt, and pulse until creamy. Add the flour and continue to pulse to make a soft dough.
• Turn the dough out into a 9-inch tart pan and spread it out evenly with an off-set spatula. Dip the spatula in a little warm water to help smooth and even the surface of the shortbread. Cover and freeze until firm, about 20 minutes.
• Put the tart pan on a baking sheet and dock (prick) the dough all over with a fork. Generously sprinkle the top of the shortbread with sugar. Toss the remaining whole almonds in the egg white; evenly arrange and press the nuts into the dough around the edge of the pan. Bake until golden brown and set, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.
• Cool the short bread in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the tart ring and cut the shortbread with a sharp knife into wedges, each with a nut. Cool shortbreads on a rack completely. (Alternatively present the shortbread as 1 large cookie. Cool the shortbread in the pan completely and remove the tart ring. Cut the shortbread into wedges as desired.) Serve. Store in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat butter with 1/2 cup sugar and almond extract until light and fluffy. With a wooden spoon, stir in flour until smooth and well combined. Divide dough into 2 parts. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• On lightly sugared surface, roll out dough, one part at a time, about 1/2-inch thick. Cut out cookies with a 1 1/2-inch round cookie cutter. Place on ungreased cookie sheet 1 inch apart. Make an indentation in the center of each cookie with the end of a wooden spoon.
• Bake in preheated oven until cookies are light golden brown around the edges, 25 to 30 minutes. While still warm, roll in sugar. Cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an air-tight container.

Steps:

• For the Shortbread:.
• Preheat your oven to 350.
• prepare a 9" x 13" pan with either flour and butter, or a piece of parchment paper pressed into the pan and up the sides slightly. (I use parchment).
• Cream your butter and sugar together.
• scrape the bowl and add yolks.
• scrape the bowl again, making sure the yolks are mixed in, but don't over mix.
• Add your spices and one cup of flour, mix briefly until just combined, then add your second cup of flour.
• Your dough should be moist and clumpy, dump this into your pan and press to fit in an even layer, with your fingertips. this doesn't have to be perfect.
• Bake for 15-20 min, until just set and lightly browned at edges.
• Prep your ingredience for the caramel as you put the shortbread in the oven.
• Put everything except the almonds into a heavy bottomed sauce pan.
• when you pull the short bread out of the oven, turn the burner on medium, and heat until the mixture is bubbly and starting to brown, stirring fairly constantly. Using a heat resistant spatula is great, so you can scrape along the bottom to prevent burning. this will take 5 min or so from everything melting.
• Turn off the heat and stir in your almonds until evenly coated.
• spread the whole mixture on top of the shortbread and pop it back into the oven for another 15 to 20 minute.
• the mix will bubble in the oven, its done when the caramel starts to turn golden and the almonds at the edges start to toast.
• Let this cool for 20-30 min, then cut with a bench knife or a chefs knife. I like to cut them into triangles, but like brownies, you can go for whatever floats your boat on this end!

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C).
• In a medium bowl, mix together 2/3 cup butter, white sugar, and flour until evenly crumbly. Press into a 9 inch square baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes.
• In a 2 quart saucepan, combine 1/2 cup butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and sweetened condensed milk. Bring to a boil. Continue to boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon for about 3 minutes. Pour over baked crust (warm or cool). Cool until it begins to firm.
• Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 1 minute, then stir and continue to heat and stir at 20 second intervals until chocolate is melted and smooth. Pour chocolate over the caramel layer and spread evenly to cover completely. Chill. Cut into 1 inch squares. These need to be small because they are so rich.