Best Nut Shortbread Recipes

BRAZIL NUT SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Grind the Brazil nuts finely.
• Beat the butter until fluffy, add the sugar and beat until fluffy again--do beat adequately.
• Sift in the flours and the nuts and work to a smooth dough.
• Cover a baking sheet with parchment.
• place a 6" flan ring or tart form on the cookie sheet to use as a guide.
• Press the dough onto the sheet inside the ring to form a neat 6" inch circle.
• Remove the ring and flatten the dought slightly with a rolling pin.
• Prick the circle of dough with a fork and score it into eight wedges.
• Sprinkle with a little granulated sugar and bake for forty minutes.
• Remove from the oven and cut along the score lines and leave to cool for two minutes.
• Lift onto a rack and cool completely.
• If they don't get immediately eaten, store in an airtight container.

CHOCOLATE CHIP-MACADAMIA NUT BARS WITH SHORTBREAD CRUST

Steps:

• Make crust:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Blend flour and sugar in processor. Add butter; process using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer mixture to 8-inch square glass baking dish. Press mixture onto bottom and 3/4 inch up sides of dish. Bake until crust is golden brown on edges, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the filling:
• Whisk sugar, flour, eggs, butter and vanilla extract to blend in large bowl. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
• Pour filling into warm crust, smoothing surface. Bake until filling is golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 50 minutes. Transfer dish to rack; cool completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.) Cut int 16 squares.

FRUIT AND NUT SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Cream butter and sugar. Add yolk and flour. Cut in fruit and nuts. Shape dough into two rolls 2 inches in diameter and roll in waxed paper. Chill overnight.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• While still cold and wax paper still on, take a sharp knife and cut thin slices (1/8 inch). Set on greased cookie sheets, remove wax paper and bake for 10 minutes. (Slightly brown edges).

EASY DOUBLE-DIPPED CHOCOLATE AND NUT SHORTBREAD LOGS

Steps:

• Set oven to 325°.
• Lightly grease cookie/baking sheets.
• In a bowl cream butter, vanilla and icing sugar for about 5 minutes until very fluffy (beat no less than 5 minutes!).
• Mix in flour and pinch of salt (if you are using salted butter, omit salt) mix till combined.
• Stir in 1 cup mini chocolate chips.
• Gather up about 1-1/2 tablespoons dough and shape into about 2 x 1/2-inch logs (or you can make them into larger size if desired).
• Place on cookie sheets about 1-1/2-inches apart.
• Bake for about 10-14 minutes or until the logs are firm.
• Let cookies cool COMPLETELY in the pan before removing them to a rack (they will break if moved when warm!).
• In a microwave or a double boiler melt the remaining 2 cups mini chocolate chips with 2 tablespoons Crisco shortening until smooth.
• Dip one end in the chocolate then into the chopped nuts.
• Holding the cookie in the middle, repeat with the other end of the cookie.
• Place on waxed paper to set.

MIXED-NUT SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.
• Stir together butter and 1/3 cup sugar in a medium bowl with a wooden spoon until combined well. Stir in vanilla, then add flour and mix with your hands just until a dough forms.
• Transfer dough to a lightly greased baking sheet and spread evenly with your fingers to form an 8-inch square. Sprinkle nuts evenly over dough, pressing down to help them adhere.
• Sprinkle remaining tablespoon sugar over nuts and bake until shortbread is deep golden, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Cool on baking sheet on a rack, 10 minutes. Cut into 18 (roughly 3- by 1 1/2-inch) bars.

PINE NUT CARAMEL SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Pat onto the bottom of a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Prick dough thoroughly with a fork., Bake at 375° for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce temperature to 325°., In a large saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, honey, sugar, cream and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until a candy thermometer reads 234° (soft-ball stage). Remove from the heat; stir in pine nuts and vanilla. Spread evenly over crust., Bake for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly. Place pan on a wire rack., Sprinkle the top with coarse salt if desired. Cool completely. Cut into bars. Store in an airtight container.

SAVORY MIXED-NUT SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 325 degrees. In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, rosemary sprig and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cook over medium, swirling occasionally, until the butter is just melted. (You can also do this in a bowl in the microwave, stirring between 30-second bursts). Set aside to cool slightly. (Take a whiff of the butter; it smells like rosemary!)
• In an ungreased 9-by-13-by-2-inch pan, use a fork to stir together the flour, sugar and cayenne until combined. Remove and discard the rosemary sprig from the butter. Pour the melted butter into the dry ingredients. Stir with a fork to combine, then use your hands to mix until no dry spots remain.
• Press the dough evenly into the pan. Prick all over with a fork. Sprinkle the nuts and rosemary leaves on top, shake into a single layer, then press firmly into the dough until the nuts' sides are surrounded by dough. (This is important, otherwise the nuts won't adhere.) Sprinkle evenly with 1 teaspoon sugar and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
• Bake until golden brown (including in the center) and the edges start to pull away from the sides, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Let cool completely, then gently break up with your hands into jagged pieces. Nuts along the edge may fall out. (Those are yours to eat.) The shortbread will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

PINE NUT ROSEMARY SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine flour and salt in a small bowl and whisk to combine. In a separate large bowl or stand mixer cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and lemon zest and mix again, then add the flour mixture, nuts, and rosemary and mix until the dough goes just past the crumbly stage, and begins to really clump together (you don't want to over mix it, but under mixing will make the dough seem a bit dry, which can make it more difficult to handle). Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Knead the dough just once or twice to bring it together, then divide it into a ball and flatten into a disk 1 inch thick. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper of a Silpat mat. Roll the dough into a log about 1 1/2" in diameter, wrap in plastic and place in freezer for 30 minutes. Remove and slice into cookies about 1/2" thick. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the cookies are beginning to brown on the bottom. The baking time will vary depending on the size of the cookies, taking less time for smaller cookies.

CHOCOLATE CHIP-MACADAMIA NUT BARS WITH SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• 1. Make Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend flour and sugar in processor. Add butter; process using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer mixture to 8-inch square glass baking dish. Press mixture onto bottom and 3/4 inch up sides of dish. Bake until crust is golden brown on edges, about 15 minutes.
• 2. Meanwhile, prepare the Filling: Whisk sugar, flour, eggs, butter and vanilla extract to blend in large bowl. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
• 3. Pour filling into warm crust, smoothing surface.
• 4. Bake until filling is golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 50 minutes.
• 5. Transfer dish to rack; cool completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.)
• 6. Cut into 16 squares.

FRUIT AND NUT HOLIDAY SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Make the shortbread cookies: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Cream the butter with the sugar in a medium bowl using a handheld mixer. In a small bowl, mix the salt and flour, and then mix into the butter, 1/4 cup at a time, just until uniform. Do not overmix. Gather the dough into a ball; chill for 15 minutes if the dough is beginning to soften or feel greasy. Roll the dough out to 1/2-inch and cut into rectangles about 1/2-inch by 2 inches. Place on a cold, ungreased baking sheet. Bake until the edges are just beginning to turn golden, 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the fruit and nut topping: In a small bowl, mix the pecans, cranberries, and chocolate chips with the orange marmalade.
• After 20 minutes, remove the cookies from the oven and spread the fruit and nut topping on the tops of the shortbread. Return to bake for 7 to 8 more minutes. Allow to cool before serving. Best eaten within a day or two of making.

GLUTEN FREE IRISH NUT SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Sift nut flours together in a medium-large bowl. 2.Add butter and honey. Mix with hands until soft dough forms. If you feel that it's still too wet just add a little more chestnut flour. Refrigerate one hour. 3.Preheat oven to 150 C / Gas 2. Cover a baking tray with greased baking parchment. Shape dough into 2.5cm balls. Place about 5cm apart on greased parchment, then flatten with lightly floured fork. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.

PINE NUT SHORTBREAD COOKIES WITH ROSEMARY

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 300-degrees. Pulse the pine nuts and rosemary in a food processor until finely chopped and combined.
• 2. Add the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt. Pulse until smooth. [Note: It may be necessary to pull out the blade and scraped down the sides so that everything is evenly incorporated.]
• 3. Add the flour. Pulse until dough comes together and is fairly smooth. Turn out dough onto saran wrap, and form a log with a diameter of approximately 2 inches (give or take). Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes, or up to 2 days.
• 4. Unwrapped the dough and slice the cookies into ¼ inch rounds. [Optional: dust with coarse/demerara sugar] Transfer to an aluminum or parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until just golden, 13 to 15 minutes.
• 5. Let cool, then store in an airtight container for up to 5 days (if they last that long) at room temperature.

MIXED NUT SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• preheat oven to 375.
• spray an 8x8" pan with cooking spray.
• stir together sugar and butter with a wooden spoon until blended.
• add vanilla.
• add flour and mix with your hands until a soft dough forms.
• spread dough into greased pan pressing down to even.
• sprinkle with nuts and the 1 tbsp sugar.
• bake 20-25 minutes until cooked.
• cut into 18 bars.
• enjoy!

CHOCOLATE NUT SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Cover baking sheet with parchment paper; draw two circles, each 7 to 7-1/2 inches.
• Measure flour, cocoa, sugar and salt into the food processor or into the large bowl of electric mixer. Mix well. Cut the butter into thin slices and add to the flour mixture. Mix or process until mixture resembles moist sand. Add the chocolate and nuts and continue mixing until a dough forms. Shape dough into a smooth ball. Cut the dough into quarters. Shape each quarter into a smooth ball. Place dough ball onto the center of each circle drawn on the parchment paper. Flatten the round to within 1/2 inch of the inside edge of the round. With a fork, make impressions on the top of each round and use the fork to round off the edges. Sprinkle each round with 1 teaspoon sugar. With a straight knife, cut each round into eight wedges; leave wedges in place.
• Bake for 1 hour or until the shortbread is a light golden color. With a straight-edged knife, cut the wedges apart while still warm.

PINE NUT, CARAMEL & SEA SALT SHORTBREAD BARS

Steps:

• The crust: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, placing the rack in the center of the oven. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl, using a hand mixer), combine butter and brown sugar. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add salt and mix again. Add flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Continue to mix until the dough begins to adhere together in large clumps, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl along the way. Lightly spray a 9- by 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Press the dough into the pan. Prick the dough with a fork in about a dozen places. Chill the until firm, about 20 minutes. Bake until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer pan to a rack until the dough cools completely.
• The filling: Reduce the oven to 325 degrees F. In a large skillet set over medium heat, toast pine nuts until they are light golden brown. Set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar, honey, granulated sugar, heavy cream, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Continue to stir while cooking until the caramel coats the back of a spoon, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, and add toasted pine nuts and vanilla extract. Pour the filling over the cooled crust.
• Bake the mixture until the filling is bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack. When the bars are lukewarm, prinkle 3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt over the top of the pine nuts, gently pressing to adhere. Once the bars cool completely, run a sharp knife around the edge of the pan (I had to do this a couple of times). Invert the pan onto the cooling rack, giving the bottom of the pan a sharp rap to loosen the bars. Remove the pan and lay a cutting board over the bars and flip over. Now the bars will be on the cutting board, filling side facing up. Using a sharp knife, cut into 2- by 1-inch bars. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

MACADAMIA NUT SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• * Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle. * Toast nuts in a 4-sided sheet pan in oven until golden, 8 to 10 minutes, then cool and coarsely chop. Leave oven on. * Stir together butter, sugars, vanilla, and salt in a bowl with a rubber spatula until combined well. Stir in flour, nuts, and chocolate until a soft dough forms. * With floured fingers, pat dough into a 10-inch round (about 1/2 inch thick) on a baking sheet. Score into 16 wedges with tip of a knife. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. * Cool on baking sheet 10 minutes, then cut into wedges (while still warm) with a sharp knife. Transfer to a rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.

ROSEMARY NUT SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• 1. In a food processor, whirl butter with sugar, vanilla, salt and egg yolk until smooth, scraping down side as necessary. Add flour and rosemary. Pulse, occasionally scraping down side, until mixture starts to form a ball. Or, in a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, beat all ingredients together except flour, rosemary and nuts until mixed. Then gradually stir in flour and rosemary. 2. Lightly dust counter with flour, then turn out dough. Divide into 4 portions. Shape each into a log about 6 in. (15 cm) long and 1¼ in. (3 cm) wide. Roll logs in chopped pine nuts. Firmly press pine nuts into log. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or up to 1 week. Or seal in a plastic freezer bag and freeze up to 1 month. 3. To bake, remove logs from refrigerator and let stand at room temperature about 15 min so they're easier to slice. Preheat oven to 325F (160C). With a serrated knife, using a gentle sawing motion, slice into coins ⅓ in. (0.8 cm) thick. Spread out on an ungreased baking sheet. 4. Bake in centre of oven until edges are lightly browned, from 12 to 14 min. Remove cookies to a rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough. Cookies will keep well stored in an airtight container in a cool place or the refrigerator up to 2 weeks or in the freezer up to 1 month.

NUT SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Cream the butter until it is light. Cream in the powdered sugar and vanilla.
• Stir in the ground nuts, then the flour and cornstarch.
• Knead until smooth on a very lightly floured board. (This dough is sticky).
• Spray the shortbread pan very lightly with a non stick veggie spray.
• Firmly press the dough into the shortbread pan.
• Prick the entire surface with a fork and bake the shortbread right in the pan.
• Bake at 325 degrees for about 30-35 minutes, or until very lightly browned.
• Let shortbread cool in its pan for about 10 minutes before you loosen the edges with a knife and flip the pan over onto a wooden cutting board.
• If the shortbread does not come right out, tap one edge of the pan.
• Cut the shortbread into serving pieces while it is still warm.