Almond Shortbread Cookies with Icing 

These Almond Shortbread Cookies from Dee & Sweets feature a buttery shortbread base topped with a creamy almond frangipane and a simple vanilla icing. Each cookie is adorned with slivered almonds for extra crunch and almond flavor. Best slightly underbaked, they bake up tender and melt-in-your-mouth. Perfect for sharing at tea time or gifting around the holidays, the combination of crisp edges, delicate almond cream, and sweet icing makes them irresistible. The recipe yields about 10 generously sized cookies with minimal prep but maximum enjoyment. 

Ingredients

Shortbread cookie dough

• 1 cup softened butter
  
  

• ¾ cup superfine (caster) sugar
  
  

• 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
  
  

• 2½ cups + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  
  

• ¼ tsp salt
  
  

Almond frangipane

• 1 cup almond flour
  
  

• ¼ cup melted butter
  
  

• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  
  

• ¼ tsp almond extract
  
  

• ½ cup sugar
  
  

• 1 room‑temperature egg
  
  

• 1½ Tbsp all‑purpose flour
  
  

• ¼ cup thinly sliced almonds
  
  

Vanilla icing (optional but recommended)

• ½ cup powdered sugar
  
  

• 2 tsp milk
  
  

• ¼ tsp vanilla extract 

Directions

1. Preheat your oven and line a baking sheet with parchment.
   
   

2. In a bowl, cream together butter and superfine sugar until light. Add vanilla and beat to combine.
   
   

3. Whisk flour and salt in a separate bowl, then gradually mix into the butter until just combined.
   
   

4. Roll dough between parchment sheets into a ⅓‑inch thick oval or circle, then chill for 15–30 minutes.
   
   

5. Meanwhile, prepare frangipane: whip almond flour, melted butter, vanilla and almond extracts, sugar, and the egg until creamy. Stir in 1½ Tbsp flour, then fold in sliced almonds. Chill while dough firms up.
   
   

6. Use a round cutter (~2.5″) to cut dough; scoop frangipane onto each and smooth with back of 1.5″ scoop.
   
   

7. Bake for about 14 minutes until edges set but centers still slightly soft. Let cool on tray before transferring to rack.
   
   

8. Whisk icing ingredients until smooth, then drizzle over cooled cookies before serving.
   
   

Nutrients (Estimated per cookie; recipe yields 10)

Calories: ~210 kcal
Carbohydrates: ~24 g
Protein: ~3 g
Fat: ~11 g
Fiber: ~1 g
Sugar: ~14 g
Sodium: ~50 mg