Pistachio-Almond Shortbread Cookies with Lemon Cream Filling

Ingredients (for about 12–13 cookies):

For the shortbread dough:

• 90 g flour
• 30 g pistachios
• 40 g powdered sugar
• 40 g cold butter
• 40 g almond butter
• zest of half an unwaxed lemon
• 2 tbsp cold water
• a pinch of salt

For the lemon cream:

• 1 egg
• 50 ml lemon juice
• 40 g sugar
• zest of one unwaxed lemon
• 30 g butter

1. Quickly mix all the ingredients for the shortbread dough until combined, shape into a ball, wrap in cling film, and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the lemon cream: place all ingredients except the butter into a metal bowl and cook over a pot of simmering water (important: don’t place it directly over the heat or you’ll end up with lemon scrambled eggs). Stir continuously until thickened.
3. Let the mixture cool slightly, then stir in the butter and blend with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy. Chill in the fridge.
4. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 3–4 mm thickness and cut into oval or egg-shaped cookies using a cookie cutter.
5. Bake on a parchment-lined tray at 180°C (356°F) for 5–6 minutes, just until the edges start to turn golden. Don’t overbake.
6. About 1 hour before serving, sandwich the cookies with the lemon cream. Only assemble as many as you plan to eat, so the cookies stay crisp and don’t become soggy from the filling.