Espresso Sugar Shortbread with Toasted Hazelnuts

Recipe by The View From the Great Island

Espresso Sugar Shortbread with Toasted Hazelnuts is the perfect coffee break treat - if your energy is flagging, this will perk you right up!

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour
• ¾ cup espresso sugar, (recipe below)
• 5 tbsp cornstarch
• ½ cup rough chopped toasted hazelnuts (toast them in a dry pan on medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until they turn brown and smell nutty --- stir almost constantly)
• 2½ sticks unsalted butter (melted)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• espresso sugar
• 1½ cups sugar
• 7 tbsp finely ground espresso or dark roast coffee

Method

1. Set oven to 350F
2. To make the espresso sugar, put the sugar and ground coffee in a food processor and process for about a minute until the two are well combined. You will have more than you need for this recipe, store the rest in a jar.
3. To make the shortbread, put the flour, sugar, and cornstarch and nuts into the bowl of the food processor (you can also do this by hand) and pulse to combine.
4. Stir the vanilla into the melted butter and add it to the flour mixture. Pulse about 20 times or so until all the dough is crumbly but just coming together.
5. Press the dough with your fingers into a 10" tart pan with a removable bottom. Take a minute to get the dough evenly distributed and flat. Use the tines of a fork to prick the surface of the dough all over.
6. Bake for about 25-30 minutes until the shortbread is just starting to turn golden around the edges.
7. Let cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then lift the bottom out and slice it into 16 triangles. It is easiest to slice the dough when it is still warm, but it will be delicate, especially at the point end so take care when you move the slices.

View the recipe instructions at The View From the Great Island