Martha's Maple-Pecan Shortbread

Name: Martha's Maple-Pecan Shortbread
Ingredients: 2.25 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface; 0.5 cup cake flour (not self-rising); 0.5 teaspoon salt; 0.5 cup pecan halves (about 2 ¼ ounces), finely chopped; 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature; 0.75 cup sugar; 0.25 cup pure maple syrup, preferably Grade B; 1 large egg yolk; 0.25 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

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By

Martha Stewart Test Kitchen

Updated on May 6, 2020

Yield:

12

These sweet and nutty shortbread cookies would be perfect with an afternoon cup of tea. Martha made this recipe on Martha Bakes episode 607.

Ingredients

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
½ cup cake flour (not self-rising)
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup pecan halves (about 2 ¼ ounces), finely chopped
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup pure maple syrup, preferably Grade B
1 large egg yolk
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Whisk flours, salt, and chopped pecans in a bowl.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth and light, about 1 minute. Add maple syrup, egg yolk, and vanilla; beat on medium until well combined. On low speed, gradually add flour mixture; beat until just combined. Dough should be smooth and pliable. Flatten into a square. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate until firm, 1 1/2 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle. Cut out squares using a 3-inch fluted square cutter; place 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheet.
Bake cookies, rotating sheet halfway through, until golden just around the edges, 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days.