Cashew Cookies

Ingredients

• 0.3 cup cornstarch 
• 0.5 cup flour all-purpose
• 3.5 ounces cashew pieces raw
• 0.1 teaspoon salt 
• 0.3 cup sugar 
• 6 tablespoons butter unsalted softened

Equipment

• food processor
• bowl
• baking sheet
• oven
• knife
• whisk
• baking pan
• hand mixer
• stand mixer
• rolling pin

Directions

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Pulse 1/2 cup nuts in a food processor until finely chopped, being careful not to process to a paste, then transfer to a large shallow baking pan. Toast nuts, stirring every 2 minutes to prevent edges from burning, until pale golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Cool completely in pan.
3. Whisk together flour and cornstarch in a bowl.
4. Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a stand mixer or 5 with a handheld.
5. Add toasted ground nuts and salt and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low, then add flour mixture and mix just until a dough forms.
6. Form dough into a rectangular block and roll out between 2 (12-inch-long) sheets of parchment with a rolling pin into a 10- by 8-inch rectangle.
7. Chill dough in parchment on a baking sheet until firm, about 10 minutes.
8. Meanwhile, coarsely chop remaining 1/4 cup nuts.
9. Discard top sheet of parchment and sprinkle dough with coarsely chopped nuts.
10. Bake until golden, 14 to 16 minutes.
11. Transfer shortbread to a rack and cool completely, then break into rough shapes with your hands.
12. · Cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature 1 week.·For a neater-looking cookie, cut shortbread, while still hot, into 8 (roughly 8- by 1 1/2-inch) cookies with a pizza/pastry wheel or sharp large knife.