Festive Maple Shortbread Cookies

I really love shortbread cookies.  I've always baked traditional Scottish shortbread until recently.  I purchased a new shortbread pan from KAF (King Arthur Flour), and decided to take a look at their recipes while I was at it.  I found this recipe for Maple Shortbread that looked really good.  It called for a few ingredients I didn't have on hand, but not to worry.... KAF had them available for purchase, so I got everything I needed right there.

Here's the pan, a snowflake pattern.

I was so excited when the package arrived, I made them right away.  I did alter the recipe just a bit to suit my own preferences, but made only very minor changes.  I was really pleased with everything about the cookies.  The texture was perfect and the flavor was excellent!

Here mine are, which I cut with a pizza wheel as soon as I turned them out.  Then I brushed them with the syrup and sprinkled the sanding sugar on them.

Here's how I did it, just in case you'd like to give them a try:

Maple Shortbread Cookies                Adapted from King Arthur Flour December 2019

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup pure maple sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon maple flavor, optional, for enhanced flavor
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla-butternut flavor, optional, for enhanced flavor
• 2 1/2 cups All-purpose flour
• 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, optional

Topping

• scant 2 tablespoons maple syrup  ** see notes below**

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Melt a tablespoon of butter and brush it onto the bottom and sides of a shortbread pan. Alternatively rub soft butter onto the bottom and sides of an 8" round pan.
2. Beat together the remaining 15 tablespoons butter, maple sugar, salt, and flavors until well blended.
3. Mix in the flour to form a smooth, cohesive dough. The dough will be crumbly at first, but will come together as it's mixed.
4. Fold in the chopped nuts if using.
5. Divide the dough in half. Wrap one half in plastic and set aside. Press the second half into the prepared pan.
6. Use a fork to prick the dough all over; this allows any steam to escape, and prevents the shortbread from bubbling as it bakes.
7. Bake the shortbread for 25 to 30 minutes, until the surface is a light golden brown, and the edges are a darker golden brown.
8. Remove the shortbread from the oven, and immediately turn it out onto a clean work surface. Gently brush the shortbread with the maple syrup (you want to be careful not to brush away the pattern if you used a shortbread pan).
9. Using a pizza wheel or sharp knife, cut the shortbread while still warm into 8 equal wedges and transfer them to a rack to cool completely.
10. Repeat the bake with the remaining half of dough.
11. Store the shortbread, well wrapped, at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage.

**Notes**

The shortbread released from the pan perfectly and as you can see in my picture, the pattern was well defined.  I was a little concerned about what brushing them with maple syrup would do to the texture of the cookie, but once the cookies cooled, there was no difference.  I chose to omit the nuts and I also decided to sprinkle mine with white sanding sugar right after brushing them with the syrup.

I found that the scant two tablespoons of maple syrup was not quite enough.  I suggest using a soft bristled or silicone brush to apply the syrup, and not a stiffer type bristled brush.

Lastly, it isn't necessary to have a shortbread pan.  You can use a round pan, pie plate, or even a sheet pan.  I have baked my Scottish shortbread in all of those options with no problems.

I you like maple flavor and shortbread, you will love these cookies.  I think I have a new Christmas cookie tradition here!