Almond & Pistachio Shortbread Biscuits

The butteriest, lemoniest, moistest pistachio shortbread recipe adapted from one of my very favorite cookbooks, The Kinfolk Table.

Ingredients

• 8 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1/2 cup superfine sugar

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

• 1/2 cup shelled pistachios, finely ground

• 1/3 cup raw almonds, finely ground

• Seeds of 1 vanilla bean

• Zest of 1 lemon, plus half the lemon juice

• Confectioner's sugar for dusting

Instructions

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350° F. Lightly dust baking sheet and set aside.

Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Pause the mixer and add the flour, nuts, vanilla, salt, lemon zest and juice. Beat on low speed just until the ingredients come together, then gather the dough and knead by hand until just mixed.

Lightly coat your hands with flour and shape the dough into cookies. I like to roll them into 1″ balls and then flatten them into rounded discs. Place them on prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Chill dough for 20-30 minutes before putting in the oven.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until just turning golden around the edges. Let them cool completely before sifting confectioners’ sugar over the top. Serve immediately or store in sealed container for up to a week.

Recipe Notes

• The original recipe calls for one vanilla bean, split and scraped out. You can find whole vanilla beans at most grocery stores, but if you can’t - or if the idea of working with a vanilla bean intimidates you - using a high quality vanilla extract is just fine. Measure with your heart.

• The original calls for just the zest of one lemon, however I like to also add some of the juice from that lemon as well for added moisture and flavor.