Finnish Butter Cookies

These Scandinavian butter cookies are close cousins of a classic shortbread but with almond extract and a sparkly finish of egg white wash, sugar, and ground almonds pressed onto each cookie before baking. The result is a thin, crisp cookie with a sandy snap and a toasted-nut crunch on top.

The dough has a high butter-to-sugar ratio, which means it’s soft and needs a good 2-hour chill before rolling. Skip the chilling and it sticks to everything, tears on the rolling pin, and won’t hold its shape when cut.

Knead the last portion of flour in by hand rather than beating it in. Overworking a butter-heavy dough with a mixer develops too much gluten, and you’ll end up with tough cookies instead of tender, crumbly ones.

Kitchen Tips

• Roll the dough to exactly ¼ inch. Thinner and they burn before the centers set. Thicker and they lose that delicate snap.
• Brush the egg white wash on gently. These are fragile before baking, and heavy brush strokes drag the dough out of shape.
• Watch the oven closely. At 7 to 8 minutes, the window between lightly browned and overbaked is narrow. Pull them when the edges are just golden.
• Cool completely on the baking sheet before moving. Warm butter cookies break apart if you handle them too soon.

Variations

• Replace almond extract with vanilla extract for a more neutral Scandinavian butter cookie.
• Use finely chopped pistachios instead of almonds on top for a green, festive look.
• Sandwich two cookies together with a thin layer of raspberry jam for a Finnish holiday treat.