Orange-Almond Shortbread with Strawberry Compote
- 1 cup sliced blanched almonds
- 1 orange
- 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 1/4 teaspoons orange-flower water or pure vanilla extract
- 1 pint strawberries, hulled and thickly sliced
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup chilled creme fraiche, lightly whipped
- Preheat the oven to 325.
- Spread the blanched almonds in a pie plate or on a small baking sheet.
- Bake the almonds for 8 minutes, or until lightly toasted.
- Transfer the toasted almonds to a plate and let them cool completely.
- Lightly oil a 9-inch round springform pan.
- Finely grate 1 1/4 teaspoons of the zest from the orange.
- In a food processor, pulse the toasted almonds with the confectioners' sugar until the nuts are finely ground.
- Add the flour, 3/4 teaspoon of the orange zest and the salt, then pulse the mixture until combined.
- Add the cold butter and pulse just until the mixture resembles large crumbs; stop pulsing before the dough begins to clump together.
- Add the orange-flower water or vanilla extract and pulse just until the dough forms large clumps.
- Scrape the shortbread dough into the prepared springform pan.
- Using floured hands, press the dough into an even layer and prick it all over the top with a fork.
- Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the shortbread is golden brown around the edges; rotate the pan halfway through baking for even browning.
- Transfer the pan to a wire rack and immediately cut the shortbread into 12 wedges.
- Let the shortbread wedges cool in the pan.
- Meanwhile, with a sharp knife, peel the orange, removing all of the bitter white pith.
- Working over a medium sauce-pan, cut in between the membranes to release the orange sections into the saucepan.
- Squeeze the juice from the orange membranes into the pan.
- Add the sliced strawberries, granulated sugar and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of orange zest and bring to a simmer.
- Cook the fruit over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the strawberries and oranges are softened and syrupy, about 8 minutes.
- The fruit compote should be slightly thinner than jam.
- Transfer the compote to a bowl and let cool to room temperature.
- Remove the springform ring and arrange the shortbread wedges on plates.
- Serve with the strawberry compote and the creme fraiche.
almonds, orange, sugar, flour, salt, cold unsalted butter, orangeflower water, strawberries, granulated sugar, chilled creme fraiche
Taken from www.foodandwine.com/recipes/orange-almond-shortbread-with-strawberry-compote (may not work)