Walnut Shortbread Squares Recipes

GERMAN WALNUT SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Beat 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter in a large bowl using an electric mixer until creamy. Add 3/4 cup plus 4 teaspoons confectioner's sugar, egg yolk, and salt; beat until smooth. Knead in 2 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour and 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons walnuts.
• Shape dough into 2-inch thick rolls and press them into rectangles using a flat item like a cutting board (they should look like oversized butter sticks). Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Cut dough into thin slices and lay them on an ungreased baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C) and bake until very lightly browned, about 5 more minutes.
• Remove from the baking sheet and cool on a wire rack, about 20 minutes.

COCONUT WALNUT SQUARES

Steps:

• Combine flour, brown sugar and butter in a bowl with a pastry blender or by cutting butter into dry ingredients with two knives until the largest lumps are the size of peas. Pat mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch (2 L) square baking dish. Bake in a preheated 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). While baking prepare topping.
• Topping: Stir together brown sugar, flour, baking powder and salt. Add eggs, one at a time, stirring until blended. Add corn syrup, walnuts, coconut and vanilla. Pour mixture over Base. Bake until set and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

MAPLE WALNUT SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 Line an 8-inch square baking pan (with straight sidewith parchment paper, leaving an overhang on at least two sides (for removing it easily after baking).
• In a food processor (or in a bowl with a pastry cutter or two knives), whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Add butter and pulse/cut until mixture starts to come together. Stir in 1/4 cup of finely chopped walnuts. Pat evenly in to prepared 8-inch pan.
• Bake crust in centre of the preheated 350 oven until golden and set, about 18-20 minutes. Remove from oven, but leave oven on. While crust is baking, whisk together the filling ingredients and set aside. Then, scatter nuts evenly over a baking sheet and set aside.
• Once base is out of the oven, place baking sheet with the nuts in the oven for about 5 minutes, or until nuts are lightly toasted and fragrant. Remove nuts from oven and scatter over cooked crust. Re-whisk filling, the pour over-top. Use a fork to evenly distribute the nuts floating on top, if necessary.
• Place in 350 oven and bake until filling is set about 35 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a cooling rack, then carefully lift out of pan using the parchment paper edges. (I like to refrigerate for a bit before cutting in to squares, just to make the whole process neater, but the squares are quite sturdy without refrigerating, once cooled.) Cut in to squares. Eat as is, or serve on a dessert plate with a dollop of whipped cream and a scattering of nuts.

BROWN SUGAR WALNUT SHORTBREAD SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350° F. Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• To make the shortbread crust, stir the flour, sugar and salt together in a large bowl. Drop in the butter and, using your fingers, mash and mix the ingredients together until you have a cohesive dough. (Alternately, the dough may be mixed in a food processor.) Pat and press evenly over the bottom of the prepared pan. With a fork, prick the dough all over at 1/2-inch intervals. Bake about 20 minutes, until the surface looks dry and the crust has browned lightly around the edges. Set aside to cool while you prepare the topping.
• To make the topping, in a large bowl combine the brown sugar, egg and vanilla and beat until evenly mixed.
• In a small cup or bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt and stir or whisk together to blend. Add to the brown sugar mixture and beat vigorously until smooth-the batter will be very stiff. Stir in the walnuts. Spread over the prepared crust. Bake about 25 minutes, until the surface looks dry and the filling has set and risen slightly. Cool completely, then cut into 2-inch squares. Store in an airtight container.

WALNUT COOKIE BARS (WITH SHORTBREAD CRUST)

Steps:

• Set oven to 350° (oven rack to second-lowest position).
• Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
• In a processor (I use my small processor for this) place the flour and sugar, process for a couple of seconds.
• Add in cold butter and vanilla; process until fine crumbs form (about 10 seconds or just until the mixture holds together).
• Press the mixture into bottom of the baking pan.
• Bake 350° (second-lowest oven rack) for about 12-15 minutes or until the edges are just golden brown.
• Meanwhile in a bowl whisk together brown sugar, corn syrup, 2 teaspoons vanilla, pinch salt and eggs until well blended.
• Mix in chopped walnuts.
• Pour over the crust.
• Bake for about 20 minutes or until set (these bars do not bake out high so watch closely they bake quickly!).
• Cool for about 1 hour or more before slicing.
• At this point you can drizzle with melted chocolate if desired.
• Slice into bar shapes.

WALNUT SHORTBREAD SQUARES

Steps:

• For crust, preheat oven to 275F; crumble ingredients together until well mixed; Press into a greased 9x13 pan and bake in a slow oven (275F) for 8 minutes; increase temp to 375F and top with second mixture and continue baking.
• For topping: Mix all ingredients well; spread mixture over the partially baked crust and continue baking in a moderate oven (375F) until well set and slightly browned, about 30 minutes; cool and cut into squares.

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.

PECAN OR WALNUT SHORTBREAD BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350. Grease or line a 9 x 13″ pan with parchment paper.
• Stir sugar and flour together. Cut in butter using 2 knives or a pastry blender, until fine crumbs form. Pat crust into prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes and remove from oven.
• While crust is baking prepare filling.
• Mix melted butter, honey, syrup, yogurt or cream and brown sugar together. This will make a lovely syrup.
• Stir in nuts until well coated. Spread over prebaked crust.
• Return to oven and bake for 25 minutes more. The edges should look golden.
• Cool before tasting so they don't burn your mouth.
• Cut into whatever size squares you desire.

RASPBERRY-FILLED WALNUT SHORTBREAD BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a bowl, combine 1-1/4 cups flour and sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Press into a greased 9-in. square baking pan. Bake 20-25 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Place on a wire rack. Spread jam over hot crust., In a bowl, beat eggs, brown sugar and vanilla. Combine baking soda and remaining flour; stir into the egg mixture just until combined. Fold in walnuts. Spoon over jam; spread evenly. , Bake 17-20 minutes longer or until golden brown and set. Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting.

BROWN SUGAR WALNUT SHORTBREAD BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line or grease an 8x8 pan.
• In a bowl, whisk together flour, powdered sugar, and salt.
• Mix in butter using a pastry cutter or 2 knives. Mixture should crumbly forming small pea sized clumps of dough.
• Press shortbread into pan evenly, and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the edges are beginning to brown. Remove from oven and set aside to cool slightly.
• While crust is cooling, make the filling. Whisk brown sugar, egg, and vanilla until smooth.
• Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until smooth.
• Stir in chopped walnuts.
• Pour into pan and spread evenly. Bake for 25 minutes, until the surface looks dry and the filling has set and risen slightly. Cool completely, then cut into small squares.

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.