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Wedges of maple walnut shortbread sprinkled with chopped walnuts.

Maple Walnut Shortbread

Heather Smoke
This maple walnut shortbread is easy to make, with a buttery, crumbly texture and delicious maple walnut flavor that's perfect for the holidays.

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5 from 4 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Chill Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American, Scottish
Servings12

Equipment

Ingredients
 

  • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • ¾ cup powdered sugar
  • ¼ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
  • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ground cloves
  • ¼ tsp ground cardamom
  • ¾ cup raw unsalted walnuts, divided
  • ¾ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
  • 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp maple extract
  • 3 tbsp whole milk

Instructions
 

Make, Cut and Chill the Dough

  • In your food processor, measure the flour, powdered sugar, salt, spices and 1/2 cup of the walnuts. Pulse several times until well combined and the walnuts are finely chopped and dispersed throughout the mixture.
  • With the processor running, drop the butter down the chute, a tablespoon at a time, and process the mixture until moist and crumbly.
  • Add the vanilla extract, maple extract and milk, and process just until the dough comes together into a dough ball.
  • Dump the dough out onto a clean counter and gather any dry floury bits together, shaping the dough into a disk, and lightly dusting it with a little extra flour.
  • Line the bottom of a 9-inch round tart pan with a removable bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Press the dough into an even layer in the pan.
  • Use a toothpick, skewer or cake tester to prick the dough all over - this is called "docking the dough", and helps prevent it from puffing up as it bakes.
  • Finely chop the remaining 1/4 cup walnuts, sprinkle them on top of the dough, and lightly press them into the dough.
  • Now cut the dough into 12 equal wedges, using a sharp knife or bench scraper, dipping it in flour in between cuts. I used a bench scraper, which I find easiest for cutting dough inside the pan. Cutting the dough before baking makes it much easier to cut without breaking it after it comes out of the oven.
  • Refrigerate the shortbread for 30 minutes.

Bake

  • Preheat the oven to 300 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven.
  • Bake the chilled shortbread for about 45 minutes, until the top looks golden brown and baked through.
  • Set the pan on a cooling rack, and immediately cut the shortbread again. Cool completely in the pan before removing the sides of the pan.
  • Store the baked shortbread in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 3-6 months.
Keyword Cookies, Maple, Shortbread, Walnut
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