Almond Pillow Cookies

For the shortbread dough:
Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and add the salt, milk and almond extract and mix well. Mix in the flour until fully incorporated. The dough will be soft, but should be pliable. Set aside (in the refrigerator if it’s warm) while making the almond filling.

For the filling:
In a food processor, grind the almonds to a coarse meal. Depending on how much texture you want in your filling. Add the sugar and salt and pulse 2-3 times. Transfer the mixture to a small mixing bowl and add the almond paste, almond extract and egg. Mix until all ingredients are thoroughly combined and uniform. Hands work best for this.

To shape the cookies:
Begin by lightly “flouring” one palm with powdered sugar. Take a 2 1/2 teaspoon or 1 1/2-inch diameter scoop of cookie dough and place it in your palm. Flatten to 1/2-inch thickness. Take a small teaspoon-sized scoop of the almond filling and place it in the center. The cookie will look like a sunny side up egg. Gently gather the edges of the dough and press until they meet in the center. Place the formed cookie onto a parchment-lined plate or cookie sheet that will fit into your freezer. Continue with the rest of your dough and filling.

Freeze the formed cookies for at least 30 minutes or until firm. If you are making these in advance, you can place the firm dough into a Ziploc bag and freeze until ready to bake.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Bake the cookies for 15-20 minutes (if baking from a frozen state, you may need to add 5 minutes to the baking time). The edges will be very faintly a light golden brown and the top should be firm to the touch. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then continue to cool on a cooling rack.

When the cookies are completely cool, dust powdered sugar over the bottom and top of the cookie and serve. Can be served at room temperature or, for a chewier consistency, serve cold from the refrigerator.