Amaretto Butter Cookies

Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr 30 mins Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb butter or 1/2 lb margarine, at room temperature,about
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg, separated
• 3 tablespoons almond liqueur, such as amaretto or 1 tablespoon almond extract
• 2 teaspoons orange zest
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, about
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups sliced almonds

Recipe

• 1 in a large bowl, with a mixer on medium speed, beat 1 cup butter and sugar until smooth.
• 2 add egg yolk, liqueur, and orange peel and beat until well blended.
• 3 in another bowl, mix 2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt.
• 4 add to butter mixture; stir to mix, then beat until well blended.
• 5 gather dough into a ball, divide in half, and flatten each portion into a disk; wrap each tightly in plastic wrap and freeze until firm enough to roll without sticking, about 30 minutes.
• 6 unwrap dough.
• 7 on a lightly floured surface, with a floured rolling pin, roll one disk at a time to about 1/4 inch thick.
• 8 with a floured, 2-inch round cutter, cut out cookies.
• 9 place about 2 inches apart on buttered 12- by 15-inch baking sheets.
• 10 gather excess dough into a ball, reroll, and cut out remaining cookies.
• 11 in a small bowl, beat egg with 1 teaspoon water to blend.
• 12 brush cookies with mixture and sprinkle or arrange about 1/2 teaspoon sliced almonds on each.
• 13 bake cookies in a 325° regular or convection oven until lightly browned, about 15 minutes; if baking two sheets at once in one oven, switch their positions halfway through cooking.
• 14 let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then use a wide spatula to transfer to racks to cool completely.