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Desserts, Recipes

Simple Almond Shortbread Cookies

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Almond Shortbread Cookies

It’s hot outside and you don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen cooking. But you’re craving a tasty, low carb shortbread cookie with your iced coffee. This recipe, which came from King Arthur Baking, is only slightly adapted by me. Made with almond flour, sugar, and butter, it is simple to make and super low carb with less than a net carb per cookie.

You can add different flavor extracts to suit your mood. I used almond extract in this batch, but you can use vanilla, lemon, strawberry, or orange extract.

See Tips below the recipe for some other ideas with this basic recipe.

Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies

1 cup Almond Flour
3 tablespoons Butter, softened
1/4 cup Sugar-free Confectioners’ Sugar
1/8 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Almond Extract or Vanilla Extract

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, mix all of the ingredients until the dough pulls together and you can shape it. Use a teaspoon or cookie scoop to make 1 inch balls of dough (about the size of a walnut). Roll them in your hand to shape them if necessary.

Place the balls about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Use the back of the spoon or your clean fingertips to press the dough into a
1/4-inch flattened round.

Put the pan in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes to an hour. This will keep the dough from spreading too quickly when baking.

Preheat the oven to 350°F about ten minutes before baking. Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, until they start to turn light golden brown on top.

Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

You can store your cookies in a plastic baggie or a sealable plastic container for several days.

Nutrition information

TIPS AND VARIATIONS:

Thumbprint Cookies: Prepare your dough as above, press the dough down and use your thumb to press an indentation into the center of cookie. Put 1/4 teaspoon of your favorite sugar-free jam in the hole. Too much jam will melt and leak while cooking. Cool in ‘fridge then cook as above.

Chocolate Pistachio Shortbread Cookies: Make as above, but substitute 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder for 2 tablespoons of the almond flour and add 1/8 teaspoon espresso powder. Mix together then stir in 1/4 cup finely chopped pistachios. Shape the dough into a 6″ log and chill it for an hour. Slice into 1/2″ thick rounds with a sharp knife and arrange on the parchment-covered baking pan leaving 2-inches between cookies. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes. Cool as above. Adds 2.3 grams net carbs to the basic recipe. If you use only the cocoa powder to make a chocolate shortbread, it only adds 0.2 net carbs to the base count.

Cranberry-Orange Shortbread Cookies: Add 1/2 teaspoon orange zest (grated orange rind) and substitute orange extract while making the cookies. Once the dough is combined, add 1/4 cup sugar-reduced dried cranberries to the dough. Shape the dough into a 6″ log, chill, slice into 1/2 inch thick rounds, and bake for 12 to 14 minutes. Cool as stated in the recipe. Adds 2 net carbs to the base recipe.

Chai Tea Shortbread Cookies: Add 1 oz. Sugar-free Chai Tea Syrup and 2 tablespoons extra Almond Flour to the mixture. Shape as stated and bake 10 to 12 minutes until lightly browned. 0.1 net carb added for the additional almond flour.

Maple Pecan Shortbread Cookies: Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 2 teaspoons sugar-free maple syrup, and 1/3 cup diced pecans to the dough. Shape the dough into a 6″ log, chill, slice, and bake; or bake as directed above. Add 0.2 net carbs for the additional ingredients.

Note: I will add more photos as I make some of the variations.

Desserts, Recipes

Delectable Almond Tea Biscuits

Sometimes you just want a couple of little non-fattening cookies to go with a mid-morning or mid-afternoon (not on the same day) cup of tea or coffee. That’s what I had in mind when I came up with these quick-to-make little tea biscuits. They are under 1 carb each.

Almond Tea Biscuits

1/2 cup Almond Flour
1/2 cup Carbquick or other low carb flour
2 tablespoons Coconut Flour
1 tablespoon Vanilla Why Protein Powder (optional)
1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Cinnamon, ground
1/2 teaspoon clove, ground
1 large Egg
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 tablespoons Almonds, sliced or flaked
1/2 cup sugar substitute

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flours, baking powder and cinnamon. Add egg, almond extract and sugar substitute. Stir together.

If the dough is too dry, add enough water to get a dough that will hold together. Let sit about five minutes for the coconut flour to absorb the liquid. If necessary to make a dough you can roll into balls, add a little more water and mix again.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Take about a teaspoon of dough and roll into a ball. It should be about 3/4″ in diameter. Place on cookie sheet and make the next one. You should get about 20 balls from the dough. Moisten your fingers and flatten the dough out into a 1 inch circle. If you wish, you can use a moistened fork to make little ridges in the cookie. Sprinkle almond flakes on each cookie or arrange almond slivers on each cookie to decorate.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until just barely turning brown.

Remove to cookie rack and let cool. Store in a plastic storage bag or other airtight container.

Makes 20 cookies.
Nutrition Info: Calories: 38.4 Fat: 4.7 g Net Carbs: .9 g Protein: 1.6 g

If you use a powdered sugar substitute, such as Splenda or Equal, the carb count will be a little higher since the powder has carbs in it. The companies say less than 1 carb per packet, but exact amount isn’t stated.

If you don’t use the vanilla whey powder, use another tablespoon of the coconut flour.

POSTED BY RENE AVERETT AT 6/24/2013 5:23 PM