Almond shortbread

Ingredients:

• 0.5 cup raw almonds with skins + about 18 whole almonds for garnish
• 2/3 cup sugar + extra for sprinkling
• 200 g softened butter, cut into pieces
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 0.5 tsp fine salt
• 1.5 cups of flour
• White of 1 large egg, beaten
• Special equipment: fluted tart pan with removable bottom, diameter 22 cm.

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). In a food processor, combine 1/2 cup of the nuts and sugar and process until the mixture resembles coarse sand. (It's okay if a few small pieces of nuts remain.) Add the butter, vanilla, almond extract, and salt and pulse until creamy. Add the flour and continue to pulse until a soft dough forms.
2. Pour the dough into the tart pan and spread it evenly with a spatula. Dip the spatula in a small amount of warm water to ensure a smooth, even surface. Cover and freeze until firm, about 20 minutes.
3. Place the pan on a baking sheet and prick the surface of the dough with a fork. Sprinkle the top generously with sugar. Mix the remaining almonds with the egg white. Then evenly distribute and press the nuts into the dough along the sides of the pan. Bake until golden brown, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.
4. Cool the shortbread in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the ring from the pan and, using a sharp knife, cut the shortbread into wedges, each topped with a nut. Cool completely on a wire rack. (Alternatively, serve the shortbread as one large cookie. Cool completely in the pan and remove the ring from the pan. Cut the shortbread into desired pieces.) Serve. Store in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days.