Best Marthas Maple Pecan Shortbread Recipes

MAPLE PECAN SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• In large bowl, beat butter, 1/2 cup of the maple sugar, the vanilla and salt with electric mixer on medium speed 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. On low speed, gradually add flour, beating just until blended. Stir in chopped pecans.
• Shape dough into 11x2-inch log. Mix remaining 1/4 cup maple sugar and coarse sugar; roll dough log in sugar mixture, pressing lightly to coat. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate 2 hours or until firm.
• Heat oven to 350°F. Unwrap dough; cut into 40 (1/4-inch) slices. On ungreased cookie sheets, place slices 1 inch apart. Top each slice with pecan half.
• Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 2 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks to cool completely. Brush cookies with maple syrup. Let stand until dry.

MAPLE AND PECAN SHORTBREADS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• For the shortbread: Line an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, making sure to leave several inches of overhang on each side to lift out the shortbread (or use a rectangular tart mold with removable bottom). Cream together the sugar and butter, using an electric mixer on medium speed, until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Mix in the vanilla, and then the flour and salt. The dough will be crumbly, pea-size balls. Dust your fingers in flour, evenly distribute the crumbles throughout the dough, and then press evenly into the pan and the edges, forming a smooth dough. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Bake until the shortbread is a nice golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool the crust completely in the pan set over a wire rack.
• For the maple butter: Bring the maple syrup to a boil, without stirring, in a small high-sided saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook the syrup, lowering the heat to medium if it begins to foam up to the top of the pot, until a candy thermometer reaches 235 degrees F to 240 degrees F (113 to 116 degrees C), soft-ball stage, about 15 minutes. Place the saucepan in a basin or bowl of ice water. Let cool, without stirring, until the thermometer reads about 120 degrees F (50 degrees C), 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the water. Beat the syrup, using a hand-held electric mixer on medium-high speed, until creamy, light in color (like peanut butter) and thickened, about 5 minutes. Continue to stir the maple syrup using a wooden spoon until it has lightened a few more shades, lost some of its sheen and slowly oozes off the spoon. Spread the maple butter over the cooled crust. Top with the toasted pecans and gently press into the maple butter. Sprinkle with sea salt. Set the pan aside for 30 minutes so the maple butter can set. It will change from a shiny finish to a dull, matte finish. Gently lift out of the pan and cut into 24 pieces.

MAPLE-PECAN SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Sift flours and salt into a bowl. Whisk in chopped pecans.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until smooth and light, about 1 minute. Add maple syrup, egg yolk, and extract; beat on medium speed until well combined. On low speed, gradually add flour mixture, beating until just combined. Dough should be smooth and pliable. Flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate until firm, 1 1/2 hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut out rounds using a 2-inch cookie cutter; place 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheet. Brush tops with beaten egg; place pecan half in the center of each cookie. Sprinkle the entire surface with turbinado sugar.
• Bake cookies, rotating sheet halfway through, until golden around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 4 days.