Pastel Butter Cookies

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the editors of Martha Stewart Living

Makes 40

Source

Ingredients

1 cup whole blanched almonds, toasted

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon coarse salt

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted, plus 1/2 cup per tinted sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Freeze-dried fruits in various colors, such as blueberries, raspberries, and mangoes

Method

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place toasted almonds in the bowl of a food processor. Add flour, salt, and cinnamon, and process until nuts are finely ground, about 1 minute.

In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer on medium, beat butter and 1 cup confectioners’ sugar until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add vanilla and beat until combined. With mixer on low, gradually add almond mixture and beat until just incorporated.

Using a 1 1/2‑inch (1‑tablespoon) cookie scoop, drop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are just golden, 14 to 16 minutes. Transfer sheets to wire racks and let cool completely.

For each desired color, place 1/2 cup fruit with 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of a food processor; process until smooth and evenly tinted. (Sugars can be stored in airtight containers up to 1 month.) Place tinted sugars in small bowls and dip cookies, domed-side down, into tinted sugars to coat. Transfer to a plate and let rest, about 30 minutes. (Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.)