Walnut Shortbreads

When you think of Hanukkah cookies, you may picture filled and rolled rugelach or light, crunchy mandelbrot. While these traditional favorites are delicious, many people also include rolled sugar cookies in their holiday baking—they’re fun to decorate, and they add color and interest to any tray or gift box of holiday cookies. This year, instead of plain vanilla cookies, why not try walnut shortbread? These buttery nut cookies owe their incredibly light, crisp, and tender texture to two things: the use of confectioners’ sugar rather than granulated, and a longer baking time at a lower oven temperature than most rolled cookies. The walnuts are lightly toasted ahead of time to bring out their flavor and then ground fine. The dough comes together in a snap. It’s an easy and delicious recipe that deserves to become part of your holiday baking tradition—and your year-round baking repertoire.

Ann
Ann Clark, Ltd

Walnut Shortbread
Makes about 12 large cookies
Make sure you process the walnuts until they are in very small pieces, like coarse bread crumbs, but don’t process them so long that they become oily.

Process in food processor until finely chopped, about 12 seconds:
2/3 cup walnut pieces, toasted and cooled

Beat with electric mixer until light:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

Add and beat thoroughly:
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Add and beat until dough comes together:
2 cups flour

Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill until firm, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Preheat oven to 325º.  Roll dough out on lightly floured counter to 1/4-inch thickness and cut with your favorite Ann Clark cookie cutters, then transfer cookies onto cookie sheets that have been lined with parchment paper or silicone liners. Bake 20 minutes, or until just barely browned around the edges. Let cookies cool slightly on cookie sheets, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy plain or decorate with royal icing if desired.

My favorite shapes for Walnut Shortbread include the Judaica Gift Set: Star of David, Dreidel, Torah, Kiddish Cup, and Chai.