These maple shortbread cookies literally melts in your mouth! It's both flavoured and topped with fine, pure maple sugar, for a lovely snacking cookie.
My celebration of all things maple continues today with these delicious Maple Sugar Shortbread Cookies. The texture of these shortbread is absolutely wonderful. Melt in your mouth! They are flavoured with a maple sugar instead of regular sugar. Once baked, they are generously dusted with more maple sugar. The result is a most delicious cookie, that only gets better as it sits and ages.
If you've made shortbread before, you may notice that this one differs a bit in that it uses melted butter. It's a great technique and no worries about having to plan to pull butter out early until it softens or cutting cold butter in to flour. This is an easy recipe that produces wonderful results!
Looking for more maple sugar recipes? Check out my Maple Sugar Ragamuffins!
Cook's Notes
If you don't have access to maple sugar, simply replace the maple sugar with regular white granulated sugar in equal quantities.
If you can, use a good, unsalted butter. As these shortbread have very few ingredients, the quality of the butter does matter here.
Speaking of the butter, you don't need to let it cool completely to room temperature. It should definitely not be used hot, but it's ok if there is a very tiny bit of warmth in it.
I have included a range of salt to add to the shortbread. I (personally) find 1/2 tsp. not quite salty enough, so I use 3/4 tsp. with the unsalted butter. Your taste may vary. Probably best to start with 1/2 tsp. and see. Also note that if you actually use salted butter with this recipe, you will want to reduce the added salt by 1/4 tsp.
Shortbread cookies are ones that actually get better and develop more flavour as they age. Freshly baked, they are lovely, but as they sit, they really develop a depth of flavour, so don't hesitate to pop these in a cookie tin and enjoy them over a couple of weeks.
Maple Sugar Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup rice flour
- 1/4 cup fine maple sugar*, plus more for topping
- 1/2 - 3/4 tsp fine salt, less if using salted butter
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350F. Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper, leaving extra at two opposite sides for lifting out.
- In a bowl, whisk together the all-purpose and rice flours, the maple sugar and salt. Stir in the melted and cooled butter and stir to combine. Mixture will be moist, sand-like. Press dough evenly in to the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake until golden brown and set, 30-35 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack but while still warm, sprinkle evenly with additional maple sugar and slice, then allow to cool completely before removing from pan.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information provided for general guidance only and should not be relied upon to make personal health decisions.
Hi! I'm Jennifer, a home-cook of many years and a lifelong seeker of delicious food! I'm an equal opportunity eater. I enjoy eating all the foods!
Heidi says
Hi Jennifer, can I mix the butter in with electric beaters or is it better to stir in with a spatula or spoon? This is my first time making shortbread and I'm not sure if less stirring is better than more? Thanks
Jennifer says
Hi Heidi, for this recipe, you're better off just sticking with a bowl and a spoon. As the butter is melted and added to the dry ingredients, what you end up with is kind of like moist sand, so you aren't really making a dough here at all. Once pressed into the pan and baked, it will be all good :) Enjoy!
Noëlle says
Anything maple and I’m in! I’d love to bake these little lovelies to add to our Thanksgiving dessert course. Just wondering if I could use cornstarch in place of the rice flour? I did a big clean out a couple weekends back and tossed many of my flours that I seldom use and haven’t gotten round to a Bulk Barn visit to freshen up.
Jennifer says
I think you could use cornstarch, just not sure if it would be the exact same quantity. I would add in increments, just to be sure.
Donna Height says
Hi thanks for sharing this recipe I was wondering can I use maple flakes? I'm not able to find maple sugar.
Jennifer says
Hi Donna and yes, you can. Just run them through a food processor to break them down a bit, as maple sugar is quite fine. Measure after processing. Enjoy!
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
I'm a huge shortbread fan Jennifer. I can't wait to try these! Love the maple sugar!
Jennifer says
Thanks Mary Ann :) I think you would love these!
Tricia @ Saving Room for Dessert says
These look completely perfect Jennifer! Who could resist such a buttery melt-in-your-mouth treat? How lucky you are to live in maple syrup land. I need to find this maple sugar soon!
Jennifer says
Thanks so much, Tricia. I can't resist putting maple sugar on everything, especially this time of year :)
Laura | Tutti Dolci says
I love shortbread and these sound absolutely divine with the maple sugar - what a treat!
Jennifer says
Thanks Laura!
Abbey says
These sound divine! I pinned them for later. I love shortbread!
Jennifer says
Thanks Abbey! I think you will love these :)
sue | theviewfromgreatisland says
I can just taste these now, the flavor must be so delightful. My daughter is living in Wisconsin and they just tapped their own backyard maple trees ~ I'm sending this along to her!
Jennifer says
Thanks Sue and yes, your daughter would love these :)