Maple Shortbread Food

MAPLE-WALNUT SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Beat the butter, 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, 1/3 cup maple syrup, 1/4 teaspoon salt and the maple extract in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low; add the flour in 2 batches and beat until just combined.
• Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and dust with flour. Gently knead a few times until soft but not sticky, lightly dusting the surface with more flour as needed. Pat into an 8-inch square (about 1/2 inch thick). Cut into 1-by-2-inch rectangles, flouring the knife if needed.
• Spread the walnuts on a plate. Gently press each rectangle in the walnuts to coat. Arrange about 1 1/2 inches apart on 2 baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 325 degrees F. Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are firm and lightly browned on the bottom, about 25 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
• Make the glaze: Mix the remaining 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, 3 tablespoons maple syrup and a pinch of salt in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle on the cookies. Let set, about 15 minutes.

MAPLE WALNUT SHORTBREAD BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Cut a piece of foil 8 by 16-inches. Butter the corners and sides of an 8-by-8-inch baking pan. Line the pan with the foil, leaving an overhang on two sides.
• Beat the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium and add the egg yolk, syrup, vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds if using. Reduce the speed to low, add the flours and salt, all at once, and beat until just combined. Add the walnuts and continue to mix until fully combined.
• Using your hands, drop the dough in pieces evenly into the prepared pan. Flour your hands lightly and press the dough together and into the corners of the pan. Put a piece of waxed paper on top of the dough and use something square and heavy-another pan, a pound of cold butter-to press the dough into the pan and make a smooth, even top. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
• When it is firm, use a fork to score the dough all over. Bake until deep golden brown and starting to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 45 minutes. Cool completely on a rack, about 2 hours, then wrap with plastic wrap, and let sit at room temperature overnight.
• Place a lightweight cutting board or a baking rack over the top of the pan. Flip and set on the counter. Gently pull the pan from the foil and the foil from the pan to lift off the pan. Gently peel the foil off the bar. Place another lightweight cutting board on top, and flip the bar right-side-up.
• Using a sharp, serrated knife, slice the square in half. Then slice each half into 8 bars.

MAPLE SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°; lightly grease two 9-inch round cake pans; sprinkle each pan with 1 tablespoon of the maple sugar.
• In a bowl, cream together the butter, salt, regular sugar, ½ cup maple sugar, maple extract, and vanilla; then beat in the flour.
• Divide the dough in half and press it into the prepared pans, smoothing surface with your fingers.
• Sprinkle each round with 1 tablespoon of the remaining maple sugar, pressing it in gently.
• Prick the dough with a fork in an attractive pattern.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes, until it is golden brown around the edges.
• Remove it from the oven and loosen the edges with a heat-resistant plastic knife or table knife.
• Wait 5 minutes, then carefully turn the shortbread out onto a clean work surface, all in one piece.
• Using a pizza wheel or sharp knife, cut each round into 12 wedges (do this while the shortbread is still warm; if you wait until it is cool, it will not cut easily).
• Transfer the wedges to a rack to cool.

CANADIAN MAPLE SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Maple butter: In a small saucepan, bring the maple syrup to a boil and reduce by half (this should take about 15 minutes) Remove from heat and let it stand at room temp.
• When it is cool, add the butter and stir or gently whisk until well blended.
• Place in frigde until firm.
• This makes about 3/4 cup.
• Shortbread: In a food processor or blender, combine the maple butter, flour and salt.
• Use the pulse setting to combine well the ingredients.
• Take it out of the blender/food processor and shape it into a ball.
• Flatten it to a disc shape.
• Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until well chilled.
• Preheat oven to 350F and position rack to centre of oven.
• Remove dough from the fridge and roll it out to about 1/4 inch thickness.
• Cut dough into desired shapes (I use a maple leaf shaped cookie cutter... very Canadian, eh?) Place cookies on ungreased cookie sheet and bake until slightly golden brown (about 10-15 min, depending on your oven).

ACORN COOKIES

Steps:

• Put the butter in a large bowl and add the sugars. Use a fork or spoon to mix them together until well combined. Add the vanilla extract.
• In another bowl, mix the salt and the flours with a whisk until combined. Pour the flour mixture into the bowl with the butter and sugar and mix well with the fork or spoon. The dough will come together quickly, but will be sticky. Don't overwork it, but be sure you don't have hidden blobs of butter in your dough.
• Shape the dough into a disk, cover with plastic wrap and set in the freezer about 2 hours, and up to overnight in the fridge. The dough must be very cold for this to work, or the cookies will collapse.
• When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Flatten the disk of dough to about 1/2 inch thick and cut into cookies. I used a 2-inch cutter, but any sort of cutter would do. An acorn-shaped one would be cute. Keep soing this, reshaping the dough, until you've used it all.
• Arrange the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 23 to 26 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies just begin to brown.

GLAZED MAPLE SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar and cornstarch until blended. Beat in flavoring. Gradually beat in flour., Shape dough into a disk; cover. Refrigerate until firm enough to roll, about 45 minutes., Preheat oven to 325°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-3/4-in. leaf-shaped cookie cutter. Place 1 in. apart on parchment-lined baking sheets., Bake until edges are light brown, 20-25 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely., In a small bowl, mix confectioners' sugar and maple syrup until smooth. Spread over cookies. Let stand until set.

MAPLE PECAN SHORTBREAD SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 175 degrees C (350 degrees F)
• Combine the flour and 75g light brown muscovado sugar in a mixer until well combined.
• Mix in the softened butter until a dough has formed.
• Press into a lined 20x20cm baking dish, and prick with a fork. If you don't have an 20x20cm dish you can use any rectangular dish. You may just have to make more shortbread, but that's never a bad thing!
• Bake the shortbread in the preheated oven for about 20-30 minutes (depending on the amount of shortbread you make). It should look puffy and golden brown when done.
• While the shortbread is baking, beat the egg in a mixing bowl along with 75g light brown muscovado sugar, maple syrup, and pecans.
• Pour the pecan mixture over the hot shortbread and return to the oven. Continue baking until firmed, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven, and immediately run a knife around the edges to prevent sticking if the mixture has got past the baking parchment. Cool completely, then cut how ever you like. ENJOY!

MAPLE SHORTBREAD BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. For crust, combine flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Cut butter into slices, and cut in with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture is crumbly. Press into bottom and half an inch up the sides of a 9- by 13-inch baking pan. Bake 15 minutes, or until edges begin to brown. Cool on rack.
• For filling, combine all ingredients except pecans, and mix until smooth. Pour into cooled crust. Distribute nuts evenly over top. Bake 30 minutes, or until filling is set. Cool on a rack before cutting.

MAPLE BACON SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Maple Bacon1. In a frying pan over medium heat, cook 8 pieces of bacon until medium-well done (not crispy) and drain on paper towels.2. Chop bacon finely and add back to frying pan over medium heat. Continue to cook and stir the bacon until crispy.3. Turn the heat to low and add slowly 1/4 cup of pure maple syrup. Stir constantly and continue cooking another 5 to 10 minutes until nice and crispy.4. Transfer onto paper towel to cool.Shortbread Base 1. Preheat oven to 325F2. In a mixer, cream together butter, icing sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.3. On low speed gradually add the flour until blended thoroughly.4. Knead cooled maple bacon into cookie dough.5. Scoop the desired size on parchment lined cookie sheets, flatten slightly.6. Bake at 325 F until lightly browned on the edges, 12-15 minutes depending on how large and thick the cookies are.