1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Combine the flour, confectioners' sugar, salt and chopped almonds in a bowl. Add the almond extract.
2. Put the softened butter in the center of the flour mixture and use a knife or your fingertips to draw the dry ingredients into the butter until a dough is formed. Shape the dough into a ball.
3. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll it out to a thickness of about 1/8 inch. Using a 3 inch cookie cutter, cut out about 24 rounds, re-rolling the dough as necessary. Place the rounds on baking sheets, leaving a little space between them. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until pale golden.
4. Let sit for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool. Dust thickly with confectioners' sugar before serving, before with halved almonds.
