Multi-nut Shortbread
FROM OPEN KITCHEN
I have always been a sucker for salty-sweet shortbread; in fact, this recipe is a variation on one from my first book. It may seem excessive (that’s me!) to make six different flavors of shortbread, but you don’t have to—pick any nut and go with it. Each nut has a flavor all its own and also, when whole, will vary in volume, so I highly recommend that you weigh rather than measure the nuts, so you know how much you need to start with. Once ground, you will need ½ cup of any of them. See the guide below for approximate volumes for each nut. Since each batch is fairly small, this is a dough I prefer to mix by hand with a wooden spoon in a small bowl. If the butter is softened to room temperature, it is easy to do (just make sure it isn’t softened to the point of almost melting).
MAKES ABOUT 3 DOZEN
1¾ ounces nuts, plus more for garnish (1/2 cup ground)
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 large egg white, lightly beaten with a fork
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Finely grind the nuts in a mini food processor or coffee/spice grinder. Be careful not to overdo it and turn it into nut butter.
In a small, heavy bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla and salt and stir to combine. Mix in the nuts and the flour. Knead a few times to mix thoroughly.
Immediately roll the dough out on a silicone baking mat or a piece of parchment paper to an even ¼-inch thickness. Slide onto a cookie sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and chill until firm, at least 30 minutes.
Cut circles using a 2-inch cookie cutter with a fluted edge. Because the dough will be cold, they should be easy to handle. Transfer to another lined cookie sheet, brush sparingly with egg white a few at a time, and press a few pieces of nut into the center of each cookie. Sprinkle with granulated sugar and repeat until all the cookies are done. Chill or freeze again until firm. Re-roll the scraps and repeat until all the dough is used. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the tops are crackled and the cookies are just turning slightly golden at the edges. Let cool slightly on the baking sheets, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
NOTES:
Try these with walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios, sunflower seeds, or pecans, as shown. Peanuts work too!
Volume measurements for whole nuts:
Walnuts=slightly heaping ½ cup
Hazelnuts=TK
Almonds=slightly heaping 1/3 cup
Pistachios=heaping 1/3 cup
Sunflower seeds=heaping 1/3 cup
Pecans= level ½ cup
Peanuts=heaping 1/3 cup
Cashews=heaping 1/3 cup
