Brown Sugar and Pine Nut Shortbread Cookies

Shortbread cookies are one of my all time favorites!

I love the crumbly texture, and buttery flavor of shortbread cookies. There can be a fine line between making shortbread that is too dry though! The addition of pine nuts in this recipe adds a rich, creaminess, to the shortbread, while also adding in their natural oils to prevent it from getting too dry. The icing on the cake, toasting the pine nuts. The toasted flavor adds so much depth to the simple shortbread. I also like adding in brown sugar instead of regular sugar, because it adds nice a nice layer of flavor from the molasses. These tender, delicate, shortbread cookies are to die for!

This recipes does require a food processor though, sorry! If you don't have one, NOW is the perfect time to get one. I use my food processor ALL OF THE TIME! From scones to pesto, I don't know what I would do without it.

Tips for Brown Sugar and Pine Nut Shortbread Cookies

*Use cold butter! It helps to keep the cookie crumbly.

*Toast the pine nuts. It adds a nice nutty flavor to the cookies.

*Chocolate! If you want drizzle on the chocolate, or dip it, I recommend using candy coating chocolate for the most "finished" look. It will harden nicer than regular chocolate chips. You can use regular chocolate chips, and it will taste just as great, but it may not harden as nicely. Either way works!

*If you want to drizzle the chocolate onto the cookies, pour the melted chocolate into a plastic bag, and cut off one of the bottom corners, then use that as your piping bag to drizzle on the chocolate.

*Garnish with ground pine nuts. This adds a really pretty yet rustic look.

Brown Sugar and Pine Nut Shortbread Cookies

Brown Sugar and Pine Nut Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar, light or dark
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted, cooled, and ground
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2-1/2 cup chocolate, optional; if planning to use chocolate, I recommend using candy coating chocolate if you want to chocolate to harden nicely. You can also use chocolate chips, but the chocolate may night harden as nicely, either way will taste great though!
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted, cooled, and ground for decoration, optional; This is great if you dip the cookies in chocolate and then dip in the pine nuts for a pretty decoration

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet, and allow to cool, then ground in a food processor
In a food processor combine the flour, brown sugar, ground pine nuts
Add in the butter and begin to process, then add in the vanilla with the mixer running
Process until it comes together and forms a ball
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface
Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch thickness
Use a cookie cutter to cut into desired shapes
Place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
Bake 11-15 minutes, or until the edges begin to turn lightly golden
Cool on cooling rack