So, who’s up for trying gluten-free lemon almond shortbread? It’s zesty and delicious, whilst having that buttery melt-in-your-mouth texture. It’s crumbly and light and I could eat a whole batch with a cuppa. Or maybe 2-3 teas back-to-back….
I really love almond and lemon flavours; I think it’s a slightly unusual combination but somehow really works. It also means you can make a buttery gluten-free shortbread with a flavoursome twist.
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✏️ Making a tasty and easy recipe
Before I got this recipe just right, I tried a few combinations for my gluten-free lemon almond shortbread.
My main issue is that not all ground almonds (also called almond flour or meal) are created equal. The one I was using at first was so coarse that my biscuits were coming out too grainy, and not overall a pleasant texture.
I finally settled on a nice brand of almond flour. It’s fine enough that you get a decent crumbly texture without the grainy chew. So, you may need to change your brand if the one you’re using gives you a really coarse texture.
🥘 Ingredients notes
- As with many of my baking recipes, I recommend starting with room temperature ingredients. This makes it easier for your ingredients to mix together.
- I prefer to use vanilla and almond extracts rather than essences, as it has a better stronger flavour. The extracts are a purer taste as it’s less processed than essence.
- When measuring your ingredients, I always recommend using weights rather than cups for greater accuracy. This is especially important for the amount of flour.
🔪 Equipment notes
- I like to use digital scales for weighing my ingredients as it's easier and more accurate than other scales (or using no scales!). I'm a fan of these KitchenAid or Salter ones!
- Use measuring spoons for your teaspoon and tablespoon amounts where possible. Make sure the scoops filled with your ingredients are levelled before adding them to your mix!
🍱 Storage
You can store your gluten-free cookies in an airtight container. They should keep for up to 4 days stored at room temperature.
💭 Top tips for success
For neat biscuits, I like to roll the dough into a log, wrap it in cling film and refrigerate it for at least 30mins before slicing off thin rounds. If you really want perfect circles you can stick your dough log in the freezer instead of the fridge so they’re extra cold and hold their shape even more.
Troubleshooting help:
If you’ve got any specific questions on making these gluten-free lemon almond shortbread cookies, please feel free to leave a comment below and I’ll try my best to help out!
Alternatively, you can get in touch via my Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest – I’d love to hear from you!
♻️ Alternatives and substitutions
If you also like your lemon flavour to be quite subtle, try using only 1 lemon for the zest. This still gives the whole biscuits a good lift, but without being too sharp if you’re baking for people that maybe aren’t super into lemon or strong flavours.
🧁 Other goodies
I definitely recommend that you whip up a batch of these delicious lemon almond cookies! But as an avid home baker, I’m sure you’re asking yourself “what next?”.
If you do love all things lemon though, why not check out my recipe for lemon bars? They’re such a classic tangy treat – nothing but sweet mouth joy!
Or if you're after some more gluten-free goodness, why not take a look at my recipe for a gluten-free Tequila Rose skull cake.
Looking forward to some new recipes? Check out my Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest pages for a few sneak peeks and some sweet inspiration!
Or if you’d like to hear about our latest recipes, why not subscribe to our newsletter?
📋 Recipe
Gluten-Free Lemon Almond Shortbread
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Ingredients
- 100 g (½ cups) unsalted butter (room temp.)
- 60 g (½ cups) icing sugar
- 50 g (¼ cups) caster sugar
- 175 g (1⅔ cups) ground almonds
- 2 lemons' zest
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven: 185°C / 165°C (fan) / Gas Mark 4 ½ / 365°F
- Cream together the butter, icing sugar and caster sugar, until fluffy and fully combined.
- Add in the remaining ingredients and mix together to form large crumbs.
- At this stage you can then use your hands to press the crumbs together into a large ball of dough and lightly knead until smooth.
- Roll the dough into a log, roughly 5-7cm in diameter.
- Wrap the log in cling film and refrigerate for 30mins or up to a few days if making in advance.
- Slice the log into roughly 2cm thick rounds and separate out onto a lined baking sheet. Leave at least a few centimetres between discs for the biscuits to spread as they cook.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden brown at the edges. The biscuits will be hot and soft when they come out, but will firm up as they cool.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate based on an online nutritional calculator, actual values may vary.
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