Marzipan Shortbread Cookies

Buttery, crisp, and ever so slightly chewy, these almond-laced cookies offer a flavorful twist on classic shortbread. Stamped to perfection with custom-made Nordic Ware stamps, these will surely distinguish themselves amidst the crowds of holiday cookies.

Prep
30 mins
Bake
18 to 22 mins
Total
55 mins
Yield
20 cookies
Marzipan Shortbread Cookies

Instructions

Prevent your screen from going dark as you follow along.
  1. Preheat the oven to 300°F and have two ungreased baking sheets ready.

  2. Whisk together the flour and salt; set aside.

  3. In a medium mixing bowl, beat together the butter, marzipan, sugar, extracts, and egg yolk at medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 1 minute, scraping the bowl as necessary.

  4. Stir in the dry ingredients.

  5. Scoop heaping tablespoon-sized balls of dough and space them about 3" apart on the ungreased baking sheets; a level tablespoon cookie scoop works well here.

  6. Dip a cookie stamp in flour, center it over a ball of dough, and press it down until the dough is 1/4" to 3/8" thick.

  7. Remove the stamp, tapping the edge firmly against the pan if the dough happens to stick.

  8. Remove any excess dough if necessary or desired; it’s easy enough to neaten up edges once the cookies have baked.

  9. Bake the cookies until they're a light golden brown around the edges (their tops will still be pale), about 18 to 22 minutes.

  10. Remove the cookies from the oven, cool them for a minute or two, then transfer them to a rack to cool completely.

  11. Store leftover cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days; freeze for longer storage.

Tips from our Bakers

  • If cookie stamps aren't part of your baking toolkit, the balls of dough can be pressed flat using the tines of a fork or the bottom of a glass or measuring cup.