Maple Shortbread with Sea Salt

By Niecer

Ingredients

• 1 2/3 Cups Unbleached All Purpose Flour
• 1/3 Cup Sugar
• 3/4 Cup Unsalted Butter, cold and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 3 Tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup
• (roughly) 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt

Details

Adapted from frenchwhisk.blogspot.com

Preparation

Step 1

Spray your 9" tart pan with cooking spray or lightly butter and set aside. In a food processor, briefly pulse the flour and sugar to combine. Add in the butter until incorporated and the mixture is sandy and uniform. Press the dough into the pan with your fingers and try your best to make it even, while pressing the dough up against the sides of the tart pan, creating a slight edge. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

Place your rack in the middle of your oven and warm to 350F. Take the chilled shortbread out of the oven and mark the top with a fork evenly all over. Slide the tart pan onto a baking sheet with either some parchment paper or a baking mat and slide the pans into the oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the shortbread is golden in the center.

Before the 40-45 minutes are up, warm the honey and syrup in a small pan over low heat (or in the microwave as Cafe Sucre Farine does) be careful to warm but not boil the syrup. Once the shortbread is browned, pull from the oven and pour the syrup over. Use a pastry brush to distribute evenly. Sprinkle the Sea Salt over the shortbread and return pan to oven for 3 more minutes.

Transfer pan to a rack and let cool for about 15 minutes. While still warm, remove the tart pan right and cut the shortbread into 12 even pieces. Cool completely before serving or storing. Will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for one week.