Cashew Cookies

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup raw cashews (3 1/2 oz)
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• parchment paper

Recipe

• 1 put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°f.
• 2 pulse ½ cup nuts in a food processor until finely chopped, being careful not to process to a paste, then transfer to a large shallow baking pan.
• 3 toast nuts, stirring every 2 minutes to prevent edges from burning, until pale golden, 6-8 minutes. cool completely in pan.
• 4 whisk together flour and cornstarch in a bowl.
• 5 beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a stand mixer or 5 with a handheld. add toasted ground nuts and salt and beat until combined. reduce speed to low, then add flour mixture and mix just until a dough forms.
• 6 form dough into a rectangular block and roll out between 2 (12-inch long) sheets of parchment with a rolling pin into a 10- by 8-inch rectangle.
• 7 chill dough in parchment on a baking sheet until firm, about 10 minutes.
• 8 meanwhile, coarsely chop remaining ¼ cup nuts.
• 9 discard top sheet of parchment and sprinkle dough with coarsely chopped nuts. bake until golden, 14-16 minutes.
• 10 transfer shortbread to a rack and cool completely, then break into rough shapes with your hands.
• 11 keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature 1 week. for a neater cookie, cut shortbread, while still hot, into 8 (roughly 8- by 1 ½-inch) cookies with a pizza/pastry wheel or sharp large knife.