Pecan Shortbread Cookies

Pecan Shortbread Cookies

Rolled in coarse sugar, these sophisticated pecan shortbread cookies are long on buttery, nutty flavor.
Ingredients:

3/4 cup chopped pecans
10 tablespoons (1-1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off with a knife, plus more for dusting
1 egg yolk, beaten
1/4 cup demerara sugar (Note: You'll use less than this, but you need extra to roll the dough in.)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.

Place the pecans on a baking sheet and toast for around five minutes, until fragrant. Cool on the baking sheet. (The nuts can be toasted and stored at room temperature.)

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and salt until smooth and lightened a bit, two to three minutes. Scrape the bowl with a spatula. 

Add the flour and mix on low just until fully combined. Add the pecans and mix until evenly combined.

Turn the dough onto a clean countertop lightly dusted with flour. Dust the dough with a little flour. Shape and roll into a squared log between 1-1/2 to 2 inches wide, dusting with more flour as necessary. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap or parchment paper and chill for at least one hour or overnight, until the dough has gotten very firm.

Preheat the oven to 350°F and set two oven racks in the centermost positions. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Lightly beat the egg yolk and 1/2 teaspoon of water in a small bowl and set aside. Pour the demerara sugar into a rimmed baking sheet or shallow casserole pan. Slice the chilled log in half to make it more manageable. Working with one log at a time, brush all sides of the log with the egg yolk mixture, then roll in the demerara sugar, pressing as necessary, until fully coated. If there are any areas of the log that are bare, sprinkle with the demerara sugar to cover.

Use a serrated knife to slice each log into about 12 individual cookies, each about 1/2-inch thick. Place the cookie slices onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches of space between each. Bake, rotating from top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until lightly golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. 

The cookies will keep in a covered container at room temperature for up to a week.

Freezer-Friendly Instructions: Let the cookies cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the cookies from the container and let them come to room temperature.

Servings: 24 cookies

Shortbread

Shortbread

Ingredients:

1 cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup superfine granulated sugar for topping

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325*F.  Butter a 6 X 10 baking dish.

Place the butter in a mixing bowl.  The butter must be soft, the consistency of mayonnaise or whippped cream.  Add the salt to the butter and mix well with a wooden spoon or whisk so that it dissolves before you add the rest of the ingredients.  Sift the flour and cornstarch together into a bowl.  Add the granulated sugar to the butter and mix just until combined. Add the flour mixture and stir just until a smooth dough forms.

Pat the dough evenly into the prepared baking dish.  The dough should be no more than 2/3 inch deep.  Bake until the top and bottom are evenly browned, about 30 minutes.  The middle of the shortbread should remain light.  Let cool on a wire rack until warm to the touch.

Sprinkle the shortbread with the superfine or granulted sugar.  Tip the baking dish so the sugar evenly coats the surface and then tip out the excess sugar.  With a very thin, sharp knife, cut the shortbreaad into rectangular squares, 1/2 in wide X 2 inhes long.  If the cookies have become cold they will not cut well so they must be cut while warm to the touch at this point.  Chill thoroughly before removing from the baking dish.

The first cookie is difficult ro remove, but the rest should come out easily with the aid of a small thin offset spatula.  The cookies will keep in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 2 weeks.

Apricot Or Raspberry Almond Shortbread Triangles

Apricot Or Raspberry Almond
Shortbread Triangles

Makes 48.

Sometimes the Raspberry and sometimes half and half.
Ingredients:
Pastry:
1 1/4 cups unsalted butter 1 1/2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
3/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt

Topping:
1-12 ounce jar seedless raspberry preserves or apricot preserves 
1 1/3 cups sliced almonds (5 ounces)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease or spray a 15 x 10 inch jelly roll pan.

2. Place butter in a 4-cup measuring cup and melt in the microwave. In the food processor pulse the sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt until mixed. With motor running pour melted butter through feed tube and process until combined. Pat dough evenly into pan.

3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until pale golden. Remove from oven and spread with preserves. Sprinkle evenly with almonds, pressing them gently into preserves. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes more or until jam is bubbling and edges are golden.

4. Remove from oven and cool 20 minutes. While shortbread is still warm, loosen the shortbread from the edges of the pan and cut crosswise into 6 strips, then cut lengthwise into 4 strips making 24 squares. Cut each square in half to form two triangles. Cool until firm. (Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.) 

Pecan Shortbread Cookies

Pecan Shortbread Cookies

Serves: 24 cookies
Ingredients
2 ½ cups blanched almond flour (not almond meal)
¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
5 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
½ cup salted butter, or palm shortening , melted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions:In a large bowl combine almond flour, salt, baking soda, and pecans.

In a small bowl, mix honey, butter, and vanilla
Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients.

Place dough in center of a piece of parchment paper
Form into a log approximately 2½ inches in diameter
Place in freezer for one hour, until firm, unwrap and cut into ⅛ inch thick slices.

Place slices on a parchment lined baking sheet
Bake at 350° until lightly golden, 7-10 minutes.

Cool for 1 hour
Serve

Blueberry Lemon Bars With Shortbread Crust

Blueberry Lemon Bars With Shortbread Crust

Ingredients:
Crust:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened 
3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar 
2 cups flour

Filling:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
Pinch salt
4 eggs
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 T. finely grated orange zest
3 cups fresh raspberries or blueberries or a combination 
Sifted powdered sugar for garnish

Directions: 1. For the crust, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds to soften. Add the powdered sugar and beat until combined. Add the flour and beat until combined. (Alternately, you may combine all ingredients in the food processor and pulse until mixture forms large clumps.) Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool on a rack for at least 15 minutes before filling.

2. Meanwhile, for filling whisk together the sugar, flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs, lemon juice and orange zest and whisk until smooth. Pour half the filling onto the cooled crust and arrange the berries evenly. Carefully pour in the remaining filling.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until lightly brown and filling is puffed and set. Cool thoroughly in the pan on a rack. Garnish with a dusting of powdered sugar and cut into squares to serve at room temperature. Bars may also be served cold, but is better if left at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before serving. 

Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread

Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread

Ingredients:

1/2 cup pistachios

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temp

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 blood orange, (juice and zest)

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup dried cranberries, finely chopped

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Directions:

Toast pistachios in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.  Cool chop and set aside.  Cream butter, sugar and zest on high until fluffy.  Mix in juice.  Beat in flour and salt on low speed until dough forms.  Fold in cranberries abad pistachios.

In wax paper, roll dough into a 2" thick log.  Freeze for 30 minutes.

Roll log in granulated sugar.  Slice into 1/2" thick pieces.  Place on parchment paper lined cookie sheets.  Bake at 350 degrees until sides are lightly brown (12 to 18 minutes) rotating pan once.  Keep cookies on pan for 10 minutes, then place on cooling rack.

Recipe from Cakes and Ale Bakery, Atlanta, GA 

Maple Shortbread Bars

Maple Shortbread Bars

Ingredients:
For The Crust:
2 cups flour
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, chilled

*

For The Filling:
1 ½ cups packed brown sugar
⅔ cup real maple syrup
2 eggs
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon maple extract
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups chopped pecans

*

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. For crust, combine flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Cut butter into slices, and cut in with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture is crumbly. 

Press into bottom and half an inch up the sides of a 9- by 13-inch baking pan. Bake 15 minutes, or until edges begin to brown. Cool on rack.

For filling, combine all ingredients except pecans, and mix until smooth. Pour into cooled crust. Distribute nuts evenly over top. Bake 30 minutes, or until filling is set. Cool on a rack before cutting.
Yield 39 bars 3" X 1"  

Royal Scotch Shortbread

Royal Scotch Shortbread

Ingredients:
2 cups sifted flour

½ cup sifted powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup cool butter, cut into chunks 

*

Preparation: 

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. 

Sift the flour, sugar and salt together. Add the butter and use your hands or a pastry cutter to combine until the mixture is crumbly. Work into a ball and knead briefly. 

Pat into a 1/4-inch sheet on an ungreased cookie sheet. Cut the dough into 2-inch diamonds.

Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven. Immediately recut the cookies. Separate carefully and cool on a rack. 

Cookies can be frozen in an airtight container, with wax paper between each layer for up to 6 months. Defrost 30 minutes before serving.

Classic Vanilla Bean Shortbread Cookies

Classic Vanilla Bean Shortbread Cookies

This is a melt in your mouth butter rich cookie.  Do not over handle the dough 

Ingredients:
1 vanilla bean
16 tablespoons butter at room temperature
⅔ cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup finely ground almonds
24 whole almonds

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Scrape the insides from one inch of a vanilla bean into a large mixing bowl. In same bowl, cream butter with sugar and vanilla until smooth.

Add flour and ground almonds and beat until mixture is well combined.

On a floured surface roll out dough to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut into 2-inch rounds and place 1 inch apart on cookie sheet. Press 1 almond into center of each cookie and bake about 20 minutes, or until very lightly colored. Remove to rack and cool.  Yield: 24 cookies

Maple Mousse Butter Tart

MAPLE MOUSSE BUTTER TART

Inspired by bite-size tarts served at Canoe restaurant in Toronto, this large version is an easy way to feed a crowd. Bake a classic maple butter tart filling (with or without raisins) in a tender, buttery shortbread crust and top it with a fluffy maple walnut mousse and you’ve got a decadent, sweet finale for your celebration. The shortbread crust is very forgiving (the butter makes sure of that), so don’t worry if you’re not a pastry master. Be sure to use the best medium or dark pure maple syrup you can find, for the deepest flavor.  BY Jennifer MacKenzie

Ingredients:
SHORTBREAD CRUST

1⅔ cups (400 mL) all-purpose flour
3 tbsp (45 mL) granulated sugar
⅔ cup (150 mL) cold unsalted butter,
cut into cubes
2 tbsp (30 mL) ice water
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract
½ cup (125 mL) walnut halves
or pieces (optional)

FILLING
3 eggs
¾ cup (175 mL) pure maple syrup
½ cup (125 mL) packed brown sugar
2 tbsp (30 mL) unsalted butter, melted
2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla extract
½ cup (125 mL) raisins (optional)

MAPLE MOUSSE

2 tsp (10 mL) unflavoured powdered gelatine
1½ cups (375 mL) whipping cream
2 egg yolks
¼ cup (60 mL) pure maple syrup
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract

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Directions:

For the crust, combine flour and sugar in a bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until coarse crumbs (or pulse in a food processor then transfer to a bowl). Combine ice water and vanilla and drizzle over flour mixture and stir with a fork until dough starts to gather. Working gently with your hands, gather into a ball and press into a disc. Wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes or until slightly chilled.

Roll out on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper to fit a 10-inch (25-cm) tart pan with a removable bottom. Press into pan, pressing any cracks to seal. Trim edges and prick lightly with a fork. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

Line tart shell with parchment paper or foil and fill with rice or dried beans to weigh pastry down. Place a baking sheet on the bottom rack (butter may drip from crust while prebaking) and bake tart shell on the centre rack for 20 minutes or until edges are dry. Remove weights and paper and bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer or until just starting to turn golden brown and firm. Remove from oven and let cool. (Leave oven on and leave baking sheet on bottom rack.)

If using walnuts, toast on a baking sheet for about 8 minutes or until fragrant and golden. Let cool, then finely chop and set aside.

Reduce oven temperature to 325°F (160°F).

For the filling, whisk eggs, syrup, sugar, butter and vanilla in a large measuring cup until well blended. Sprinkle raisins in tart shell (if using). Pour filling in cooled shell, stirring to spread raisins evenly as necessary.

Bake for about 35 minutes or until filling is puffed around the edges and just set in the centre. Let cool completely in pan on a rack.

Once the tart is cool, prepare the maple mousse. Sprinkle gelatine over 2 tbsp (30 mL) of the cream and let soften for 5 minutes. Measure ¼ cup (60 mL) of the remaining cream, then refrigerate remaining cream in a mixing bowl.

Whisk egg yolks in a small bowl until blended. Bring maple syrup to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Boil, stirring, for about 3 minutes or until fragrant, slightly darker and slightly reduced. Pour in the ¼ cup (60 mL) cream. Remove from heat and stir until bubbles subside. Gradually pour into egg yolks, while whisking constantly. Return to saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, for about 3 minutes or until starting to thicken. Stir in gelatine mixture and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until gelatine is dissolved. Transfer to a clean bowl and let cool to room temperature, stirring often, for about 15 minutes.

11 Whip remaining cream in chilled bowl to soft peaks. Fold in vanilla. Stir one-quarter into the cooled egg yolk and gelatine mixture until well blended. Add back to whipped cream in bowl and beat until blended. Fold in walnuts (if using). Spread or pipe mousse on top of tart. Refrigerate until mousse is set, at least 30 minutes, or for up to 8 hours. Remove ring from tart pan and place on a plate (you can carefully remove from tart pan bottom and slide onto plate, if desired). Garnish with extra walnut pieces, if desired.    Serves 8 to 12