- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup blanched whole almonds, toasted and ground fine
- 2 sticks (1 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- Preheat oven to 350°F. and butter 36 mini-muffin cups.
- Into a bowl sift together flour, confectioners' sugar, cornstarch, and salt. In a food processor pulse mixture with almonds until combined well. Add butter and almond extract and blend until a dough just forms, about 1 minute.
- On a lightly floured surface with floured hands form dough into thirty-six 1-inch balls. Press balls lightly into cups and bake in middle of oven until pale golden, about 15 minutes. Cool shortbreads in cups on racks 2 minutes and with a 3/4-inch melon-ball cutter carefully scoop out an indentation about 1/4 inch deep in centers. Cool shells completely. Gently loosen sides of shells with a thin knife and carefully remove from cups (shells will be very fragile). Shells may be make 3 days ahead and kept in am airtight container at room temperature.