Pecan Shortbread Cookies Dipped in Maple Glaze

These Pecan Shortbread Cookies are every bit delicious as they are gorgeous. Made from light tender shortbread filled with nutty pecans, these delightful cookies are topped with a sweet and fun maple glaze making them the perfect afternoon treat.

These Pecan Shortbread Cookies are seasonal favourites at this time of year and sit firmly in the I love baking cookies basket! Buttery, melt in your mouth shortbread filled with toasted pecans, dipped in a sweet maple glaze creates a taste sensation when you bite down into one.

Using the traditional method of making shortbread, as in my Cranberry Orange Shortbread, you'll find it's made with zero egg or baking powder to create leavening. Made with only butter, sugar, and flour as the core ingredients, with the addition of maple syrup as the flavouring, these incredible shortbread cookies rely on the perfect balance and quality of their ingredients.

Ingredients needed

Made with only a handful of ingredients, you'll have the majority available in your pantry. Bonus! I recommend the maple glaze and the candied pecans to create the best shortbread cookie flavour combination! The shortbread on its own is stand-alone great though. I've also added instructions to add candied bacon if you're as obsessed with that sweet/salty combination of maple and bacon. Chopped little pieces on top really work. They really do!

Pecan Shortbread

• Butter- I recommend unsalted butter as when adding the candied pecans or bacon, the additional salt is enough. Ensure the butter is at room temperature so that it can be creamed with the sugar.
• Sugar - Granulated or caster sugar is used. The recipe states granulated as it's more main stream, but wither can be used.
• Flour - Plain (all-purpose) flour creates the perfect structure for the cookies to maintain their shape.
• Pecans - I recommend toasting the pecans before adding them to the shortbread. This isn't a pre-requisite, but I find the toasty, nutty flavour really shines through.
• Maple syrup - Just enough to add more flavour to the cookies, use proper maple syrup rather than the flavouring. Alternatively, add in vanilla extract.

Maple Glaze

• Powdered icing sugar- Sift well to remove any lumps
• Maple syrup - For the ultimate maple flavour, quite a bit of maple syrup of used to create a thick maple glaze.
• Butter - Just a small amount of butter added to the glaze creates a lovely gloss to the glaze but also helps the glaze set as the butter solidifies.

Candied Pecans and Bacon (optional)

• Maple syrup- both the bacon and the pecans get coated in maple. I brush it onto the bacon with a pastry brush and then just toss the peacon halves in it.
• Bacon - My preference is to use smokey bacon rashes. (the thin strips as in my image) they go beautifully crispy in about 15 minutes.
• Pecans - No need to tast these pecans as they are going into the oven and the heat, along with the maple syrup will toast and caramelise them all at the same time.
• Flaked sea salt - For the ultimate sweet, salty, nutty combination, sprinkle a small amount onto the caramelised pecans when fresh from the oven. It's the best!

Step-by-step instructions

*Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions!*

These really are the best shortbread cookies as they come together so quickly. Made with handheld beaters or a stand mixer, the dough whizzes up in a matter of minutes. Once rolled and the cookies are stamped out, the dough will need refrigerating so that the butter solidifies which helps maintain its shape in the oven

I provide instructions for the recommended maple syrup glaze and candied pecan or chopped bacon, and these can be prepped whilst the cookies are chilling.

Pecan Shortbread

1. Cream together the butter, sugar and maple syrup. The butter has to be at room temperature for it to be able to cream properly. The butter basically needs to aerate and you'll see this happening by it turning lighter in colour. The sugar crystals gradually disintegrate during this creaming process. Add the maple syrup in and give it a quick mix together. Make sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. (Image 1 & 2).

2. Add in flour and pecans and beat them together. Add the flour and pecans into the creamed butter and on low speed mix them all together until they just combine. The dough will look quite raggedy (Image 3 & 4).

The pecans need to be super finely chopped. Why? Firstly, the smaller pieces you have will disperse more thoroughly throughout the shortbread. Secondly, when it comes to stamping out the shape, large pieces will create uneven edges. Smaller pecan pieces make for more exact shapes.

3. Form a dough and roll out. With your hands, squeeze the cookie dough together making a ball. press it into a rough disc. Then on a lightly floured surface roll it out. (Image 5 & 6).

It's important to note that if the dough is too soft then it will be impossible to cut out the cookies in the next stage. The air temperature, how soft the butter was to start off with, whether the exact amount of flour was measured all come into play with how soft the dough is at this point. If it's too soft to roll out then pop it in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes to firm up a little (but not too much otherwise the dough will crack when you try to roll it out) Living in the UK, I find in the heat of summer I have to refrigerate the dough at this point, but in Autumn/Winter I can roll it straight out.

4. Cut out cookie shapes and chill. Once the dough is rolled out, we can stamp the cookies. Lay them onto a baking tray covered in parchment. Bring together any scraps, re-roll and stamp out more cookies. And then again if needs be. Just be aware that every time you re-form the dough, it will pull in the flour from the benchtop and hence may dry out the dough. Add a couple of drops of water to the dough if this happens. (Image 7 & 8).

Now refrigerate that dough for 30 minutes minimum or until the cutouts have hardened. This means the batter has resolidified and gives you the best possible chance of the cookies retaining their shape in the oven.

5. Bake. The cookies are baked until they're just turning golden on the edges. I like my shortbread soft and buttery. But if you'd prefer yours on the crisper side then leave them in the oven for a couple of minutes longer.

Aside from the slightly golden edges, to tell that the shortbread is cooked through, lift one up and look at the bottom. If the cookie still looks wet underneath then they are underdone. Pop them back in for another minute or two to bake right through.

Candied Bacon and Pecans

If you choose to decorate your cookies with candied bacon bits or chopped candied pecans, then prepare them either when the cookie cutouts are chilling before baking, or when the shortbread has been removed from the oven.

I pop the bacon and pecans on two different baking trays, but at the same time in the oven. The bacon takes longer to crispen up, so I just take out the pecans once they are done.

1. Prepare bacon and bake. Brushing the bacon with maple syrup is a genius move by whoever invented that combination. It caramelises the bacon whilst adding the perfect smokey sweetness. Once out of the oven, let the bacon cool and it will go lovely and crispy. Then chop it into little bits. (Image 9 & 10).

2. Prepare pecans and bake. Toss the pecans in any remaining maple syrup and then bake until the pecans are toasted and maple is bubbling. Sprinkle salt onto them straight from the oven and then chop them finely. No need for salt on the chopped bacon as it's salty enough. (Image 11 & 12).

Maple glaze

1. Mix ingredients together. The maple glaze is a beautiful addition to the shortbread cookies. Pop all the ingredients into a bowl and stir until smooth and lump-free. It's a thick glaze but you can pop it in the microwave for a maximum of ten seconds to loosen it up a bit. (Image 13 & 14)

2. Dip cookies into glaze and decorate. Dip the top of each shortbread into the icing and very carefully lift it out. Let any excess glaze drip back into the bowl and then sprinkle the candied pecans or bacon onto the cookies as you so wish. You can get creative with the decoration here!! (Image 15 & 16).

Variations

My recipe uses the base of a great shortbread recipe (ingredients being butter, sugar and flour) so that you can then customise and create any other recipe you can imagine. Below are some ideas of other flavourings that you can add to the base. Note replace the maple syrup with vanilla extract.

• Nuts: Any and all chopped nuts make a beautiful addition to shortbread. Along with pecan, my favourites are almond, walnut or hazelnuts. Toast and chop them finely too.
• Citrus: The zest of lemon, lime, orange, mandarine or grapefruit would add real zing to the buttery shortbread. Use the juice for a tangy glaze foan extra layer of flavour.
• Dried fruit: Finely chopped dried cranberries, apricots, figs, or dates and add them in for a deliciously sweet, chewy factor.
• Chocolate: Now, I couldn't not add in chocolate into your options, could I!! A chopped chocolate bar, chocolate callets or chocolate chips in white, milk or dark will go down a treat. Drizzle the tops with melted chocolate for a decorative touch ontop of your chocopate chip shortbread.

Shape: You don't need to cut out the shortbread with a special cookie cutter. As you can see in the image below, I used a standard 5cm round cookie cutter to stamp out these ones. Using a cookie cutter this size will increase the yield from this batch of cookie dough.

Frequently asked questions

How to store

To store: Glazed Pecan Shortbread Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to one week. Any cookies decorated with candied bacon will have to be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

To freeze: Undecorated shortbread can be stored in a freezer-safe container and frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight at room temperature.

Tools you’ll need

• Stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachement: The quickest and easiest way to make the dough. Electric hand-held beaters will were perfectly well also.
• Rolling Pin: To roll the dough and be able to create those cookie shapes.
• Baking sheet: Depending on how large the cookies are, you may need one or two sheets.

More cookie recipes that you may enjoy.

• Almond biscotti
• Double Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies
• French Madeleines in varying flavours: Triple chocolate, Lemon Popyseed, Classic Orange or Brown Butter.