Pulse macadamias briefly and stop while the meal is loose; oily macadamia paste changes the dough's spreading.
Rice-flour and macadamia shortbread rounds with a thin tart lime glaze.
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Macadamia Rice-Flour Shortbread with Lime Glaze Recipe
Follow the tray sizes, portions and baking intervals in the instructions below.
Total time includes hands-on preparation, required chilling or resting, whole-batch cooking, cooling and finishing.
Kitchen tools you’ll need
- food processor
- bowls
- spatula
- two 13 x 18-inch half sheets
- parchment
- rack
Ingredients
US measures are approximate. Gram weights help keep portions consistent; spice weights vary with density.
Instructions
Mix the dough
- Mix the dough: Pulse macadamias to a fine meal, stopping before their abundant oil forms a paste. Stir butter and sugar smooth, then add both flours, nut meal and salt until cohesive.
Shape and chill
- Shape and chill: Divide all dough into 24 equal portions (about 14 g each). Press between parchment into 1 3/4-inch rounds, about 1/3 inch thick. Mark lightly with a fork. Refrigerate 30 minutes until firm.
Bake the whole batch
- Bake the whole batch: Heat oven to 325°F (165°C) conventional or 300°F (150°C) fan. Use two parchment-lined 13 x 18-inch half sheets, 12 cookies per sheet, spaced at least 1 inch apart. Bake one tray at a time on the middle rack for 18–22 minutes, turning front to back halfway; keep the waiting tray refrigerated. Edges and bases should be pale gold and the centers dry. Whole-batch oven time is 44 minutes for both trays.
Cool and glaze
- Cool and glaze: Rest 10 minutes on trays and 20 minutes on a rack. Stir glaze sugar and lime juice smooth; spread a thin film on each cold top. Leave 40 minutes in a cool room until dry to the touch. Cooling/setting totals 70 minutes including tray rest.
Timing and scaling
- Timing and scaling: 30 min hands-on + 30 min required chill/rest + 44 min whole-batch oven baking + 70 min cooling/setting = 174 min. Cooling includes tray/pan rests and runs from the final tray; earlier-tray cooling may overlap later baking. Ingredient warm-up and frozen-dough thawing are extra; preheat during shaping/chilling. Scale ingredients and US equivalents, not oven temperature, piece sizes or per-tray bake time; extra trays extend the whole-batch time.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Ingredient science
Macadamia meal adds nut fat while rice flour replaces wheat, making a fragile sandy cookie structurally different from a plain glazed cutout.
Technique & texture
Pulse macadamias briefly and stop while the meal is loose; oily macadamia paste changes the dough's spreading.
Finishing & serving
Pack only once the lime glaze is dry; separate layers with parchment and avoid humid storage.
Storage and make-ahead
| Method | How long | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | 5 days | Up to 5 days. Seal fully cooled cookies airtight in a cool dry room. Separate layers with parchment; let the coating set before packing. |
| Refrigeration | up to 7 days | Unnecessary; up to 7 days if needed. Baked refrigeration is unnecessary for this formula; use only if the room is warm. Seal airtight to prevent condensation and odors. |
| Raw freezing | 1 month | Up to 1 month. Freeze the unfilled dough tightly wrapped. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then shape and complete the stated chill. Thawing time is additional. |
| Baked freezing | 2 months | Up to 2 months. Freeze uncoated baked cookies airtight with parchment between layers. Thaw sealed at room temperature for 1–2 hours. Apply the finish after thawing. |
| Restoring | As described | Serve after thawing. Do not oven-refresh the assembled or coated cookies. Serve once thawed; reseal unused portions. |
Notes
- Scale ingredients, including US measures, without changing cookie size or oven temperature. Extra trays increase whole-batch time.
Nutrition
Approximate values per portion from the listed ingredient weights divided into 24 equal portions. Includes required fillings and finishes. Brands, unused coatings and actual portion size affect the estimate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What gives these rounds their sandy texture?
Macadamia meal adds nut fat while rice flour replaces wheat, making a fragile sandy cookie structurally different from a plain glazed cutout.
Why did the dough turn oily?
Pulse macadamias briefly and stop while the meal is loose; oily macadamia paste changes the dough's spreading.
When can glazed rounds go into a tin?
Pack only once the lime glaze is dry; separate layers with parchment and avoid humid storage.
