Teenie Cakes™

| food, photography, edible gardening & more!

Blackberry-Almond Shortbread

Blackberry Almond Shortbread recipe - TeenieCakes.com

I mentioned in an earlier post that my kitchen was “inaccessible” for a couple of very long weeks. I had already purchased some prized produce like blackberries, apricots, nectarines and figs in anticipation of seasonal, delicious culinary creations to come. Blackberries do not keep well for very long. They get mushy and kind of disgustingly disintegrate. Needless to say a lot of my blackberry lot had to be thrown away in yard recycling. Blackberries are at their peak season in June for the South and July in the North.

I happened upon this recipe for a Blackberry-Almond Shortbread…I can’t remember the last time I made a shortbread. Blackberries and almonds? A winner with me!   The dough used to create the crust is utilized both on the bottom and crumbled all over the top. It’s shortbread, buttery goodness without overpowering the sweet fragile nature of the blackberries. I considered leaving out the orange zest, but was happier later for not omitting it. It’s a good, reliable and quick recipe that I may try out using sweet cherries.

Wikipedia includes the following nutrition details on these “aggregate fruit”:

  • Blackberries are high in dietary fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, folic acid and manganese.
  • They rank high among fruits for antioxidant strength.
Teenie Notes
  • Blackberries have a short freshness-life when purchased.   Plan to use them fairly quickly after bringing them home from the market.
  • I had almond flour, so I skipped the step of having to grind blanched almonds after toasting. Instead, measured out 1/4 cup of almond flour and roasted it in the oven for about 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees. Your time may vary, keep an eye on it – when it starts turning golden, pull from oven immediately.
Blackberry-Almond Shortbread
source adapted from Martha Stewart Living

Makes 10-12 squares

Ingredients

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 cup whole blanched almonds OR 1/4 cup almond meal/flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar, plus more for dusting
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 pound fresh blackberries (about 3 1/2 – 4 cups)
1 orange zest, freshly grated

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use non-stick spray on a 9×13 baking pan. Dust with flour, tapping out excess.

If Using Whole Blanched Almonds
Arrange almonds in a single layer on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden, about 12-15 minutes. Let the almonds cool completely. Grind in food processor until fine.

If Using Almond Meal/Flour
Scoop 1/4 cup almond meal/flour on a rimmed baking pan. Slightly shake the pan back and forth to gently distribute flour on pan. Bake until slightly golden about 8-10 minutes (your time may vary, watch for the almond meal/flour to start slightly browning). Remove from oven and let cool.

Mix flour, processed nuts flour, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl; set aside. Add 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar and butter in a bowl of an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in almond extract. Add flour mixture in 3 batches; mix until crumbly dough forms.

Press all but 1 cup of dough onto bottom of processed baking pan. Evenly distribute blackberries with zest and scatter over dough. Sprinkle with remaining sugar and reserved dough on top.

Bake until golden, about 25-30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into squares and dust with confectioner’s sugar when serving.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. mangiabella says

    I could claw through the screen and gobble these up in a new york minute! thank you so very much for stopping by mangiabella, I am thrilled to become your newest follower and get your RSS feed delivered straight to my mailbox *woot woot* – hope to talk more soon, have a glorious day sweet bella

  4. Juliana says

    Cristina, this bars look absolutely delicious, almond and blackberries…what a great combination…yummie! Great pictures 🙂

  5. LaChelle @ SugarDuchess says

    Wow. I could just dig in, these look so, so tasty. It seems like berry season took me by surprise this year, and suddenly I’m looking around, and the berries are disappearing! I’m excited to bookmark this and try it out while I still can. Thanks for sharing 🙂

    • Cristina - Teenie Cakes says

      Hi LaChelle and welcome to Teenie Cakes!

      Berries are still kinda plentiful out there, still sweet and decently priced. It’ll be sad when they’re outta season again and we have to wait until next year to enjoy them abundantly again.

    • Cristina - Teenie Cakes says

      Hi Kim – that would be great if you could convert this recipe for gluten free. Gluten free diets would enjoy something like this with those lovely berries. I look forward to your conversion…I’d like to try it. 🙂

  9. Kristi Rimkus says

    We are just now getting some ripe blackberries on the bushes. This looks like the perfect treat to use them up. As usual, your pictures are fantastic!

  13. Jean says

    Blackberries and almonds work for me, too, especially when prepared this way.

    Speaking of short shelf lives, I find the same to be true with raspberries. I made a raspberry tart last week and I had to make sure to use them right away. The crust had almonds, too, so the theme was similar to your shortbread here. 🙂

    • Cristina - Teenie Cakes says

      Hi Jean – good to know about raspberries too. I’m guessing also that for the blackberries we get out here, by the time they’re in market and I get them home, they’ve been pulled and sitting for who knows how long.

      Mmm. A raspberry tart may be next on my list of things to try! 😉

  14. Priscilla - She's Cookin' says

    I can just taste the crunchy, buttery, blackberry goodness of those cookies! Love shortbread cookies and sweets that include fresh fruit or citrus. Reading through the comments – I hope to meet you in August at FBFLA – I went to the first one earlier this year.

    • Cristina - Teenie Cakes says

      Hi Cristina and thank you for such a high compliment…especially from one who has such a fantastic blog and photography I aspire to.

      Luv this idea about a restaurant using the spelling of our name…the correct way! 😉 I suggest I come out to Paris and we get this, destined for success venture, started asap! {Maybe Cristina Saralegui of “The Cristina Show” will do a feature on us! =) }

  17. The Housewife says

    I’m glad you were at least able to salvage some of the produce… it breaks my heart too every time I need to throw away food. The bars look so great ( I have a special soft spot for all things shortbread!)!

  18. FOODESSA says

    Let me get my pot of tea…these berry shortbread treats look yummy ;o)
    The additions of the almonds is superb. Thank you.

    Ciao for now and flavourful wishes,
    Claudia

  19. bunkycooks says

    Shortbread would have been great to make with all the blackberries I have either purchased or picked this Summer. It looks really yummy! I ended up freezing a bunch so I didn’t lose them. They really do not last but a day or two. They are so fragile.

  20. denise @ quickies on the dinner table says

    Hi Cristina 🙂 Sorry I have been scarce lately and thanks for dropping by and leaving your great comment. I do appreciate great, supportive bloggie buddies like you!

    This looks so good, I can’t tell you how much I want to crunch into one! I’m imagining the explosion of berry goodness in my mouth and the nutty, buttery flavour of the crust and crumbs. Wonderful!!! The photos are of course, breathtaking!

    • Cristina - Teenie Cakes says

      Hey Denise it so good to hear from you! I hope you’re feeling much better and on a fast-track road to recovery! You need to get well so you can have some of this shortbread, my friend. 😉

  21. Chef Dennis says

    blackberries are so delicate, you do hate to lose them or any food…..your shortbread look very very good! The blackberries and almonds with that wonderful shortbread must have been delicious!

    • Cristina - Teenie Cakes says

      Hi Chef Dennis and thank you. It is hurtful to waste. It’s especially sad when you bring things home from the market specifically for things in mind and it never makes it there. 😉

  23. Deanna says

    Oh my goodness “Teenie”! I don’t think these could be no beautiful! I am smitten and will be making them for our B&B very, very soon. Thank you for sharing! 🙂

  24. Devaki@weavethousandflavors says

    Dear Cristina – So wonderful is this shortbread – it incorporates all the goodness that is at the heart of a wonderful shortbread and I love love love the use of fresh blackberries and almonds in this. Yummm…..

    Ciao,

    ‘the shortbread snoot’
    aka
    Devaki @ weavethousandflavors

  28. The Cilantropist says

    Ah, sad to hear the fate of those spoiled blackberries, but we all have had to throw away some unused fruits at one point or another… but glad to see you were finally able to get back into the kitchen and whip up this lovely shortbread! The delicate shortbread seems like a really great match for the blackberries.

  29. Lynne @ CookandBeMerry says

    Your Blackberry Shortbread looks so delicious! And your photograph is just perfect. I love the little squares of parchment. I sent your email address to Erika of InErikasKitchen to be added to the evite for the August FBLA meeting. If you don’t get it, let me know.

    • Cristina - Teenie Cakes says

      Hi Lynne and thank you, especially about the photograph as I luv your photography! Thanks for mentioning me to Erika. She has contacted me and I hope I’ll be seein’ the FBLA folks in a couple of weeks 🙂

[instagram-feed]