make a batch of Michelle Obama's Shortbread Cookies

Michelle Obama’s Shortbread Cookies

The recipe comes courtesy of Mama Kaye, the godmother of both Obama daughters. Orange and lemon zest gives the squares plenty of citrus zing.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons Amaretto (almond liqueur)
1 teaspoon each orange and lemon zest
3 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 beaten egg white
Chopped nuts or dried fruit (optional)

Method:
Heat oven to 325°.
Line a 17×12×1-inch baking pan with nonstick foil. In large bowl, cream together butter and 11/2 cups of the sugar.
Slowly add egg yolks, and beat well until smooth. Beat in Amaretto and zest.
Stir in flour and salt until combined.
Spread dough evenly into prepared pan, flattening as smoothly as possible.
Brush top of dough with egg white; sprinkle with nuts or fruit (if using) and with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.
Bake at 325° for 25 minutes or until brown, turn off oven and allow cookies to sit in oven (with door ajar) for 15 minutes. Cut while slightly warm.
Yields: 6 dozen 2” x 3” cookies

for this recipe and idea!

yum!

There were no small or even medium sized bottles of amaretto at the market, so I know what I’ll be drinking in my coffee and tub for a while.

Very easy recipe once you get through quite a bit of zesting.

We decided to do red, white, and blue on top – the white (OK white-ish) is the pecans.

Tasty.

And then we bake!

I’ve made these 3 times now and they never last 24 hours. If you put less egg white on when you brush them they are crunchier if that’s what you like. They’re very easy to make. Maybe too easy. Definitely worth it.

very good flavor, but a little too chewy. Next time I’ll bake them a bit longer and maybe raise the temp 25 degrees or so… ? I’ll have to customize them to our tastes, but good luck everybody! Have fun making these! :-D

All ready, set, and gone into the oven.

Ingredients, preparation and anticipation. :-)

to go. Have bought the ingredients and will make a batch today.