Polverones

For my birthday I had a fabulous European cook book from the Hairy Bikers, not actually a gift from them, just written by them. Anyway I began in Spain and baked some almond cookies, known as Polverones, and very nice they taste too.

Sift together:
75g icing sugar
250g plain flour

Stir in:
75g ground almonds
a good pinch of fine sea salt

Add:
125g softened butter by rubbing it in with your fingertips. 

The mixture is very crumbly, but eventually you will form a dough (a lot like shortbread)
Put the dough between 2 sheets of baking parchment and roll out to a depth of 2cm
Use a cookie cutter to shape, and lift onto a baking tray.
Re-mould the remaining dough between the parchment sheets

Bake on Gas 4 for 12-15 minutes until firm and just turning golden (they should be pale)
cool on the tray
dust with icing sugar to serve

Thanks Hairy bikers - they look tasty