Maple Shortbread

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup maple sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 -2 teaspoon maple extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 300°; lightly grease two 9-inch round cake pans; sprinkle each pan with 1 tablespoon of the maple sugar.
• 2 in a bowl, cream together the butter, salt, regular sugar, ½ cup maple sugar, maple extract, and vanilla; then beat in the flour.
• 3 divide the dough in half and press it into the prepared pans, smoothing surface with your fingers.
• 4 sprinkle each round with 1 tablespoon of the remaining maple sugar, pressing it in gently.
• 5 prick the dough with a fork in an attractive pattern.
• 6 bake for 35-40 minutes, until it is golden brown around the edges.
• 7 remove it from the oven and loosen the edges with a heat-resistant plastic knife or table knife.
• 8 wait 5 minutes, then carefully turn the shortbread out onto a clean work surface, all in one piece.
• 9 using a pizza wheel or sharp knife, cut each round into 12 wedges (do this while the shortbread is still warm; if you wait until it is cool, it will not cut easily).
• 10 transfer the wedges to a rack to cool.