Nubby Granola Shortbread…More Than Cookies

By threejamigos | November 27, 2023 | Comments 0 Comment

Me. The cookbook addict missed a book signing at Omnivore Books. Literally, took my eye off the book and completely missed Natasha Pickowicz’s More Than Cake book signing event.

In my effort to curtail my cookbook acquisitions, I have limited my cookbook buying to books by POC authors. There are exceptions of course, anything by Dorie Greenspan and if you own a restaurant in the middle of nowhere, Maine, and pub a new book, iykyk 😉, I’m all in.

Here is my weak defense. Pickowicz, at first glance, is not an Asian last name, so the fact that she is part Chinese escaped me. The title, More Than Cake also threw me off. I’m not a big cake person, more of a cookies and pies gal. As soon as I saw the word Cake…I tuned out, the MORE THAN got by me.

When I realized she was Asian and that her book contained WAY more than just cake, her book landed on my radar. Then I found out she organizes amazing BAKE Sales for Planned Parenthood and Brigid Alliance and has raised thousands of dollars (lots of thousands), so I ordered a copy immediately. It now has a spot on my cookbook shelf.

Holiday Traditions

Thanksgiving is in the books (no pun intended) which means a couple of things in our house. First, I play Patrick Stewart’s version of A Christmas Carol which also kicks off 24-7 holiday music in our house, I am so stoked. Second, time to plan those holiday cookie boxes! I pulled out More Than Cake and found her recipe for Nubby Granola Shortbread. Shortbread, y’all know I LOVE shortbread. Time for a test run.

These crispy, buttery bites are made in a food processor. A little pulse magic and the dough is done. How easy is that? Plus, shortbread cookies travel well and keep longer than most cookies. These are delicious, lighter, and crunchier than traditional shortbread, perfect with a cuppa coffee or tea. I made a batch of Jule’s Granola which worked perfectly in these cookies. Flecks of dried fruit from the granola added a bit of color and sweetness to the shortbread, an unanticipated bonus.

PLUS, I’ll fill cute canning jars with the remaining granola to give away. Oh this cookie is definitely going in the holiday cookie box.

Tips

Use your favorite granola, store-bought or homemade. You don’t have to make your own. I love making granola so NBD.
Using a food processor makes quick work of the dough. It starts with chilled butter (yay no waiting for butter to soften).

Rice flour makes for a fine texture, crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth-cookie. Bob’s Red Mill has rice flour and can be found at larger supermarkets, Whole Foods, and online.
No rolling out dough, the dough is pressed into the pan. The recipe can be cut in half and baked in an 8×8 pan.

The tricky part of this recipe is the baking time. Rice flour produces a drier cookie than AP flour therefore try not to overbake these cookies. After removing the pan from the oven, lightly score the dough and allow to cool. Once cooled, cut through the score marks. Sprinkle with flaky salt and dust generously with powdered sugar to finish cookies.

A buttery, crunchy, gluten-free shortbread cookie that keeps and travels well. This is a keeper.

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Nubby Granola Shortbread

This breakfast-inspired shortbread is a great way to use your favorite granola. It adds a nice crunch to the buttery cookie. Sandy ultrafine rice flour makes a melt-in-your-mouth fine texture. It's delicious!

Course cookies, granola, shortbread

Cuisine American, Asian-American

Keyword granola, Shortbread

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 27

Ingredients

2 cups your favorite granola
3/4 cup walnut pieces pecans or almonds would work but lack that characteristic tannic edge of walnuts
2 cups white rice flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
8 ounces unsalted butter (2 sticks) cut into 1/2-inch cubes, well chilled

Finish

flaky sea salt
powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Fit a sheet of parchment paper into a quarter-sheet pan (9 by 13 inches). Lightly mist the parchment with cooking spray.
In a food processor, combine the granola, nut pieces, white rice flour, granulated sugar, and kosher salt, and pulse until the mixture is pebbly and fine.
Add the butter and pulse another 8 to 10 times, until the mixture feels like damp, coarse breadcrumbs. The butter should almost disappear into the dry ingredients but not be taken so far that the dough is clumping and gathering around the blade.
Scatter the dough evenly in the prepared sheet pan. Use your knuckles to lightly press the crumb into an even layer. It should be about 1/2 inch thick. Do not apply too much pressure, as this would make the shortbread dense and gummy.
Bake until the edges of the shortbread are lightly browned, and the center feels soft but cooked through, 35 to 40 minutes (see tip).
Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the surface with flaky sea salt. While the shortbread is still hot, use a small knife to score it into 24 squares.
Let cool completely, then cut the cookies, still in the pan, along the scored lines and dust with powdered sugar.

Notes

The pan of shortbread can be held in the freezer for up to 1 month and baked from frozen.

The shortbread can be stored, tightly wrapped at room temperature, for up to 1 week.

TECHNIQUE TIP: It's tricky to tell when an unfamiliar recipe is done in your oven. Never throw away a seemingly botched batch of anything — there's always another purpose for it. If the baked shortbread tastes undercooked or feels gummy, invert the shortbread onto a clean sheet pan, so the crumbs spill out. Break it up with your fingers and bake again at 325 F for 10 minutes. Now you have instant streusel. Is the shortbread overbaked and dry? Tip the crumbs into a food processor and blend until fine and add big handfuls to your next layer cake.