Walnut Shortbread Recipe

I started making these shortbread when I worked as the chef during the British shooting season at a posh estate in North Yorkshire, oh so many years ago. Served with afternoon tea when the guests came back in from a day of shooting grouse on the moors or alongside a mouth-puckeringly tart lemon possett for dessert, these sandy shortbreads are one of my favorite cookies around.

Somehow, they seem most suited to the cooler Autumn days...and don't you just love the acorn shaped cookie cutter I found?

Walnut Shortbread Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 cup walnuts

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg yolk

flaky sea salt

Preparations:

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Toast the walnuts until they're browned, about 13 minutes, and then finely grind them in a food processor.

Combine the flour and salt in a small bowl. Cream together the butter and sugar until they are a pale yellow color (you can use a stand mixer here with the paddle attachment to make your life easier). Add the egg yolk and mix thoroughly. Now add the flour mixture and walnuts - mix only to combine! Your dough might be soft for rolling out depending on the temperature of your kitchen. If this is the case, wrap it in plastic wrap and put in the fridge for about half an hour.

On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough to 1/2 an inch thickness and use cookie cutter of your choice to make shapes. Place them about 2 inches apart on the parchment lined baking sheet and sprinkle with the flaky sea salt. Bake until they're firm for 10-12 minutes, until they're just turning golden brown around the edges. Place on a cooling rack to cool.