Secret Recipe Club: Zesty Lemon and Almond Sticks

This month, my partner for the Secret Recipe Club was the lovely blog Barbara Bakes, full of absolutely scrumptious treats!  Since I had signed up to bring cookies to church on Easter, I decided on Barbara's lime and almond sticks.  I love citrus as a spring flavor, and the addition of almonds made the cookies extra tender, which I really like in a shortbread-type cookie.  Best of all, I was able to make the dough a week ahead and pop it in the freezer, making my Easter weekend a lot less hectic! Although I intended to make these cookies with the original lime flavoring, I didn't make it to the store due to a giant rainstorm, and ended up using lemons from our backyard instead.  The Meyer lemons added a lovely floral citrus flavor, but I definitely want to try lime next time.  Either way, these were a big hit and everyone loved them.  Thanks for a great recipe, Barbara.

Zesty Lemon and Almond Sticks (adapted from Barbara Bakes, original recipe here, and Martha Stewart)
Makes 3-4 dozen cookies (depending on size)

2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1 T plus 1 tsp lemon zest
2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup almond meal

1. In a food processor, pulse together the flour, confectioner's sugar, salt, and lime zest until combined.  Add the butter and process until sandy.  Add the yolks and lime juice and pulse until the dough comes together.  Add the almond meal and pulse until combined.
2. Divide the dough in half and form into two logs.  Gently press each log into a rectangle and wrap tightly in plastic wrap.  Freeze until firm, about 2 hours (or up to one month).
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, with racks in the upper and lower third of the oven.  Line two baking sheets with parchment.  Slice the rectangular logs into 1/4-inch thick slices and arrange on the baking sheets, about one inch apart. Bake about 15 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through, until the cookies are golden brown.  Cool on wire racks.