Christmas recipes: Dutch almond shortbread
For many pastry lovers, Christmas and shortbread are synonymous. The full-bodied, creamy consistency is comforting fare during the winter.
While Scotland may be the best known for its recipes, shortbread is also commonly found in England, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands.
Vancouver's Linda Herbert (nee Hanson) shares her mother's recipe for almond Dutch shortbread which her family bakes every year for the holidays.
With only a few ingredients, it's a great recipe to whip together in a hurry because it doesn't require rolling out or cutting into shapes.The cake-like results are rich in texture and flavour.
Shortbread's sweet simplicity can be served with coffee, hot chocolate or hot mulled wine. Enjoy!
Dutch Shortbread (Boterkoek)
Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
1 ½ tsp almond extract
2 cups flour
1 egg, beaten
Shaved or slivered almonds
**Recipe may be doubled, tripled or quadrupled.
Method
Beat sugar, butter and extract together until fluffy. 
Add beaten egg (reserving a few drops to glaze). 
Beat in flour with a stand mixer or knead in with your hands. 
Press into ungreased pie plate or spring-form pan. Glaze the top with the reserved egg. Sprinkle with shaved or shivered almonds if desired.
Bake at 350° Fahrenheit for 30-35 minutes or until golden. (Shortbread should be a little darker than shown in photo below.)
Let cool in pan. Cut into wedges.
