Shelly's Recipe

Amaretto Butter Cookies

Category: Cookies

1 cup (1/2 lb.) butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg, separated
3 Tablespoons almond flavor liqueur, such as amaretto
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sliced almonds


In a large bowl, with a mixer on medium speed, beat 1 cup butter and the sugar until smooth. Add egg yolk, liqueur, and orange peel and beat until well blended.

In another bowl, mix 2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture; stir to mix then beat until well blended. Gather dough into a ball, divide in half, and flatten each portion into a disk; wrap each tightly in plastic wrap and freeze until firm enough to roll without sticking, about 30 minutes.

Unwrap dough. On a lightly floured surface, with a floured rolling pin, roll one disk at a time to about 1/4-inch thick. With a floured, 2-inch round cutter, cut out cookies. Place about 2 inches apart on buttered baking sheet. Gather excess dough into a ball, reroll, and cut out remaining cookies.

In a small bowl, beat egg white with 1 teaspoon water to blend. Brush cookies with mixture and sprinkle or arrange about 1/2 teaspoon sliced almonds on each.

Bake cookies in a 325 regular or convention oven until lightly browned, about 15 minutes; if baking two sheets at once in one oven, switch their positions halfway through baking.

Let cookies cool on sheet for 5 minutes, then use a wide spatula to transfer to racks to cool completely.

Note: Almond-flavor liqueur can be substituted with 1 Tablespoon of almond extract.