Ingredients
250 grams unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
100 grams powdered sugar
1 egg yolk
100 grams ground almonds (You can buy pre-ground almond meal or grind your own)
350 grams all purpose flour
2 egg yolks, mixed with 2 tablespoons milk (for an eggwash)
60 blanched, peeled whole almonds
You will also need: a heart shaped cookie cutter and a pastry brush
Directions
In a food processor, grind the almonds to a flour-like consistency. Separate the 1 egg into a small bowl, discarding the whites or save for another purpose.
In mixing bowl, cream together unsalted butter, powdered sugar and the egg yolk until light and fluffy. Beat in flour and ground almonds until well combined. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator 2-3 hours or until firm enough to be rolled.
Preheat over to 400F. Roll out half of the dough on a well floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness (be careful to get the surface even, otherwise you will have oddly-browned cookies. Also, do not roll the dough to thin, otherwise you will have hard cookies when they come out of the oven). Separate the remaining eggs into a little bowl, discarding the whites or save for another purpose. Mix with milk.
Cut with a heart-shapped cookie cutter. Place on cookie sheet lined with silpat or onto parchment paper. Brush each cookie with a very light layer of egg wash with the pastry brush. On each cookie place/press a single or two whole almond in the center. Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown at the edges. Cool on wire rack.
