Almond Breton Biscuits Recipes

Steps:

• Beat butter, sugar, salt and powdered sugar till fluffy. Add egg yolks till combined and gradually add the flour and almonds till well combined. Divide the dough in half and shape into a, 8 inch long log. Wrap in plastic and chill about one hour. Remove from the fridge, brush with the egg white and roll in the colored sugar or non-pariels. Re-wrap and chill about two hours. To bake, remove from the wrap and slice into 1/4 inch slices.
• * At this point I will make a small indentation on the center of the cookie top and add about 1/2 teaspoon of raspberry bakery filling.
• Place two inches apart on parchment lined cookie sheets and bake for 12 minutes. Cool on wire racks.
• Prep time does not include chill time.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment. Put the ground almonds and sugar in a large mixing bowl and mix to combine.
• In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy, then add to the almond and sugar mixture. Stir well - it will form a slightly sticky mixture but should hold its shape.
• Wet your hands lightly and roll a heaped teaspoon of the mixture into a ball between your palms - it should be about 4cm in diameter. Put on the tray and flatten slightly with wet fingers to a thick disc, leaving at least 3cm between each biscuit. Press a blanched almond into each one, if you like.
• Bake for 18-20 mins until just starting to turn golden around the edges, then remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack. You want them to have a chewy, soft centre and the darker they get the harder the middle will be.
• To make cinnamon balls, add the cinnamon to the almonds and sugar before you add the egg white. When shaping, leave them as balls. Bake for 18-20 mins - you want them to stay soft in the centre. While they are still warm, put them gently in a bowl of icing sugar and turn to coat. Leave until completely cooled.

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:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Line 2 baking trays with baking parchment. Place the egg whites in a clean bowl and whisk until they form soft peaks. Add the sugar and continue to whisk for a few mins more until the whites are glossy. Sift the flour onto the whites, spoon over the almonds, then fold everything together quickly, keeping the mixture light and airy.
• Spoon tbsps of the almond mix, well spaced apart, onto the prepared trays. Bake for 20 mins until golden. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Serve with the gooseberry fool. These biscuits are best freshly baked but will keep in a sealed container for up to a week.