Mazipan shortbread

I haven’t really posted in some time. I came to either the notion or the realization that when I cook I want to spend time at it, and this isn’t for everyone, especially those just looking to eat. A few months ago my muse became shortbread. I found a recipe for a Morrocan cookie that was supposed to be heavy on the sesame seeds. I couldn’t find an economical source of sesame seeds. My memory told me they were sold in large portions in either H-mart or the Indian grocery store I went to a few years ago. I tried H-mart and didn’t have success so I made my version of their recipe with peanuts and pistachios.

I really enjoyed these cookies and learned a lot about shortbread. The question gleaned was what would happen if you made peanuts and peanut butter a significant ingredient in a similar shortbread cookie like in marzipan.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup unsalted peanuts
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 to 4 cups all purpose flour

Instructions:

1. In food processor turn one cup of peanuts into powder being careful not to go so far as to make them overly oily. Set aside for later.
2. In stand mixer with paddle attachment combine sugar, butter, and olive oil. Mix well.
3. Add peanut butter and make as homogenous as possible.
4. Add food processed peanuts and create the semi oily mixture you will now short your glutinous wheat flour with.
5. In mixing bowl whisk together flour and salt.
6. Add flour and salt mixture little by little to the bowl of your stand mixer.
7. You kind of have to do this by eye or feel. What you are looking for is a mixture, which you can make a ball out of without falling apart, but which is dry enough that your hands should only be oily after making said ball. Also the stand mixer should be kind of struggling.
8. When you have reached step #7, make approximately 1 1/2″ balls and space them on a cookie sheet.
9. Flatten balls slightly with a fork or spoon.
10. Bake at 275°F for approximately 30 minutes.
11. Shorter times make for more of a sand colored cookie, while longer times creates more of a chocolate color. Due to this being a new recipe I tried both. They were both good. With peanut butter as a large ingredient you have to be careful. It will go from sand to chocolate to char in short order. This is the primary reason for the low and slow baking temperature. Cooking I have found is all about shades of brown. Char equals fail.
12. Allow to harden slightly cooling on the pan.
13. Transfer to cooling rack.
14. If you like your cookies warmed, twenty minutes at 200°F in a toaster oven creates many benefits and almost no harm.