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1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
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2
Spread the almonds and the flour on separate baking sheets.
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3
Place both in the oven and bake until the almonds are toasted and the flour is a deep creamy color, about 12 to 15 minutes, stirring the flour and the almonds once.
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4
Set aside to cool completely.
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5
Place the almonds and the sugar in a food processor and process until the nuts are ground.
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6
Sift the flour with the salt and baking powder into a large mixing bowl.
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7
Stir in the almond mixture.
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8
Add the butter and shortening, working it in with your fingers until you have a crumbly dough.
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9
Press the dough together, flatten and wrap in plastic wrap.
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10
Refrigerate for 2 hours.
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11
Butter a cookie sheet well.
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12
Unwrap the dough and place it on top of the plastic wrap; cover it with another sheet of plastic wrap.
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13
Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out between the sheets of plastic with quick, short movements until it is about 1/4 inch thick; it will be crumbly around the edges.
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14
Using a cookie cutter 2 inches in diameter, cut out as many cookies as you can.
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15
Transfer them to the cookie sheet with a spatula, being very careful or they will break apart.
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16
Gather up the remaining dough and roll out and cut out more cookies.
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17
Repeat until all of the dough has been used.
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18
Bake the cookies on the top rack of the oven until they are pale golden in color, about 10 to 15 minutes.
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19
Sift the confectioners' sugar over them and set them aside to cool before removing them from the cookie sheet.
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20
Store the cookies in an airtight container.
