Something Better than English Shortbread, and Yummy Almonds

I made shortbread last week, kind of by the seat of my pants, so to speak, and Charlie, who tried them during a visit, commented that they were "better than English shortbread," whatever that means.  Yes, I added grapefruit zest to the shortbread batter and made a glaze with grapefruit juice and powdered sugar, but it didn't seem so extraordinary, to me, as a biscuit, in general.  Cut about a half pound of butter (of course!) into three to four cups of flour, a cup of granulated sugar, a couple tablespoons of fresh grapefruit zest, and a dash of salt.  Baked in a 350F oven for about twelve to fifteen minutes, until they get golden edges.  Not hard.  Jut let them cool for a minute on the cookie sheet before removing them to a cooling rack to cool completely before glazing.  The glaze was a couple tablespoons of juice with about a cup and a half to two cups of powdered (confectioners') sugar, whisked until smooth.  On the approximately 2-1/2 inch stars (five-pointed), I used about a half teaspoon of glaze on each. The glaze helps them look nice, finished.  Inviting.  I guess that's why he ate so many while I was roasting almonds:

Tamari-Maple Almonds

 (I just got this recipe, I think, from the NYTimes website)


1 lb. raw almonds
1/4 c. tamari
4 T. maple syrup (use the real stuff, not pancake syrup)
Nonstick spray, like Pam or Crisco

You can do this with or without pre-roasting the almonds.  I did it both ways, once pre-roasting the almonds, and once using raw almonds.

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Stir together the tamari and the maple syrup.  Pour almonds into mixture, and stir to coat.  Allow to sit for a few minutes while you spray the baking sheet with the Pam, Crisco, or whatever brand of nonstick cooking spray you choose.  Spread the  nuts on the cooking sheet in a single layer.  

Roast for about 20-25 minutes, or until the nuts turn a rich mahogany brown.  Cool for about ten minutes on the baking sheet, then remove to another baking sheet (or something else with a large surface area) to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container.  These come out a little sticky, but taste so good, you won't mind licking your fingers!  These are good when served with cheese (we had brie), Calamata olives, warm baguette, and red wine.  
Yum!

Okay, it's getting near lunchtime.  Time to put together a salad with some of the remaining veggies from our CSA share before tomorrow, when we'll be picking up another box!