Maple Pecan Shortbread

Any day is a good day for making a batch of shortbread. Why wait until Christmas?

There is a teensy amount of cinnamon in this recipe. Just enough to give the flavours of pecan and maple a little lift.

As with the Scots Shortbread recipe, please use rice flour, not ground rice. The texture and flavour is distinctly different. I still use a couple of tablespoons of whipping cream to bind the dough together but you won't need as much, because the maple syrup helps to bind as well.

I used FG Roberts plain gluten free flour for this bake. Other flour brands may need a little more or less whipping cream to bring it together, so add a little at a time, while mixing.

I used Betty Blue (my stand mixer) to make this recipe. You can use a thermomix, food processor or stand mixer to mix this dough.

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Recipe

Maple Pecan Shortbread

Makes approximately 24 biscuits

Ingredients

275 grams plain gluten free flour

50 grams rice flour

100 grams finely chopped pecans

1/4 teaspoon salt flakes (omit if salted butter is used)

¼ teaspoon xanthan gum

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

150 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature

80 grams soft brown sugar

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

3-4 tablespoons whipping cream

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 150 degrees celcsius

2. Line baking tray with baking paper

3. In small bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, rice flour, salt and xanthan gum

4. In a separate, large bowl cream the butter and sugar until light a creamy

5. Add the flour mixture and chopped pecans and mix until a shaggy dough starts to form

6. Drizzle in the maple syrup while mixing, ensuring to combine well

7. Add the whipping cream, a teaspoon at a time, mixing until the dough forms

8. The dough should be soft but not sticky

9. Turn the dough out and knead a little to create a smooth dough

10. Shape into a flat disk and place between two sheets of baking paper

11. Roll the dough out to about a centimetre thick

12. Cut into the desired shapes, and prick the tops with a fork

13. Gently place onto the prepared baking sheet, a few centimetres apart

14. Chill for at least ten minutes, to stop the shortbread spreading

15. Bake until lightly golden brown on the edges and aromatic, about 25-30 minutes

16. Allow to cool on the tray for five minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool.

Some gluten free flours are thirstier than others, you may need to add more or less whipping cream to form your dough.

Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.