This recipe is by Rie McClenny, best known from her work with Buzzfeed's Tasty and Tasty Japan. She's one of my most revered food media idols; she's very knowledgeable in addition to being kind and so skilled! I first tried these butter cookies at her book launch for Make it Japanese at the Korin showroom in New York City. These shortbread cookies are even more tender and hearty, in part from the almond flour in the recipe. The almond flour also provides a lovely crumbly texture but without being dry.

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Ingredients​

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• 260 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour

• 65 g (2/3 cup) almond flour

• 226 g (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature​

• 135 g (2/3 cup) granulated sugar

• 20 g (1 large) egg yolk

• 30 g (1 large) egg white, beaten for brushing the logs

• 2 Tablespoons turbinado sugar, pulsed lightly in a food processor

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Instructions

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1. Sift together all-purpose flour and almond flour. For the large pieces of almond flour that don't go the sieve, add to the bowl. Whisk to combine.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and beat until well combined, about another minutes. Add the flour mixture. Fold in until there are no more flour streaks.

3. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions and place each one on a sheet of parchment paper or Silpat sheets. Roll each portion into a 2-inch-diameter log, then wrap in the parchment. Wrap each parchment log in plastic and store in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days. The dough can also be frozen for up to 3 months.

4. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats.

5. Remove cookie logs from fridge. Brush with beaten egg white and sprinkle with ground turbinado sugar. 

6. Use a sharp knife to slice the logs crosswise into 1/2-inch thick rounds. Place the rounds onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.

7. Bake cookies, rotating and switching racks halfway through, until cookies are pale golden at the edges, about 18-20 minutes.

8. Remove from the oven and let cookies cool completely on baking sheets. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days.

 

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Pictured Flavor Lineup:
 

• Miso-sesame: add 1 Tablespoon red miso paste. After brushing the egg white on the dough logs, add 1 Tablespoon crushed sesame seeds to the turbinado sugar. Cover the brushed logs and proceed baking as normal.

• Matcha-cranberry: 1 Tablespoon sifted matcha powder + dried cranberries folded in the dough.

• Maple-bacon: replace half the butter with rendered bacon fat, and replace the sugar with maple sugar. Glaze made with maple syrup and powdered sugar.

• Lemon-lavender: add 2 teaspoons lemon zest and 1 teaspoon crushed culinary lavender. Glaze made with lemon juice and powdered sugar.

• *I've also made a plain version with a few drops of almond extracts, which were a huge hit during Lunar New Year!