Toffee Pecan Brown Sugar Shortbread

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword toffee-pecan-brown-sugar-shortbread

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Cooling time 30

Total Time 1 20

Servings servings

Calories 174kcal

Author Melissa Sperka

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly spritz the bottom of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom or regular metal pie pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a medium-size mixing bowl mix together the flour and brown sugar.
Using a pastry blender cut the cold butter into the flour until it resembles peas.
To the bowl add the chopped pecans, toffee bits and vanilla mixing until evenly distributed. Press dough firmly and evenly into the pan. (The soft dough forms when pressed into the pan.)
Using a sharp knife or pastry wheel score the top into 16 wedges. (This helps with pecan placement) Gently press one whole pecan onto the outer end of each wedge.
Bake for 28-30 minutes until lightly golden.
Remove from the oven and rest on a cooling rack. Allow to cool and set for 30 minutes.
Remove the outer ring and use a long sharp knife to carefully cut into wedges while still warm then cool completely.
Store in a container tightly sealed at room temperature.

Secret to Good Shortbread - The secret to this shortbread recipe is using good quality butter. The simplicity of the ingredients allows for special effort to use only the best and freshest available.
Nuts - You could us walnuts or almonds in place of pecans.
Butter - You can use unsalted butter adding 1/4 teaspoon salt to the flour mixture.
Sugar - Traditional shortbread uses white sugar. I especially love light brown sugar in this recipe, but you could use dark brown sugar for a stronger molasses flavor.
Turbinado Sugar - You could sprinkle the top of the shortbread with turbinado sugar prior to baking fo a little sparkle.
Why Score the Dough? I recommend scoring the dough prior to baking for perfect placement of the whole pecans. Please note that the lines will disappear while baking. You will want to again cut into wedges once baked and cooled.
Pan - For this rich and buttery Toffee Pecan Brown Sugar Shortbread, I use a fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. It's easier to remove from the pan for slicing and it results in pretty edge. You could make this in a square 9x9-inch pan or a 9-inch springform pan.
When to Serve Brown Sugar Shortbread - Serve this homemade toffee pecan shortbread with a cup of iced coffee, cappuccino, or a warm mug of tea for a cozy indulgence. Package it and share with friends and family or add it to your edible Christmas gifts for the holidays.