Butterscotch and pecan shortbread biscuits recipe
Just the thing for enjoying as a mid-afternoon treat – and the ideal way to celebrate the return of The Great British Bake Off – these butterscotch and pecan shortbread biscuits have a delicate, melt-in-the-mouth texture and buttery richness that makes them pretty much irresistible.
The recipe comes from the newly released cookbook, The Great British Bake Off: Comfort Bakes, which features a delicious array of sweet and savoury recipes from Paul Hollywood, Prue Leith and the 2024 bakers.
In creating this recipe, it's clear the team have put their expertise to good use – the flecks of butterscotch and pecan threaded through the shortbread add tiny pockets of sweetness and a lovely nutty crunch. We think these beauties are best served with a cup of tea, for the ultimate dunking experience.
For US ingredients and measurements, use the drop-down menu and select ‘Cups’.
Ingredients
- 85 g butterscotch candies
- 50 g pecans
- 200 g unsalted butter, softened
- 100 g caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
- 1 tsp vanilla paste
- 250 g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 25 g cornflour
- 25 g rice flour
- 0.5 tsp baking powder
- 0.5 tsp fine salt
Details
- Cuisine: British
- Recipe Type: Baking
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation Time: 30 mins
- Cooking Time: 13 mins
- Serves: 20
Step-by-step
- Line two baking trays (baking sheets) with baking paper (baking parchment).
- To make the shortbread dough, break the butterscotch candies and pecans into small pieces, about half the size of a pea.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the beater, cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla on medium speed for about three minutes, until pale and creamy.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then sift in the flour, cornflour (cornstarch), rice flour, baking powder and salt and mix until almost combined.
- Add the chopped butterscotch and pecans and mix slowly, until the pieces are evenly distributed.
- Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it in half. Shape each half into a log-shape with a diameter of roughly 5-6cm (2-2.5in).
- Wrap the logs tightly in baking paper (baking parchment), twist the ends to seal and roll the logs back and forth on the work surface to neaten. Chill in the fridge for two hours, until very firm.
- Preheat the oven to 170°C/150°C fan/325°F/gas mark 3. To bake the biscuits, unwrap the shortbread logs and, using a sharp knife, cut them into 1cm (0.5in) discs. Arrange the discs on the lined baking trays (baking sheets), leaving a little space between each one.
- Sprinkle the top of the shortbreads with a little sugar and bake for 12-13 minutes, until firm and starting to turn golden at the edges.
- If any nuggets of butterscotch have escaped from the sides of the baked shortbreads, gently push them back into shape with a palette knife while the biscuits are still hot.
- Leave to cool on the baking trays (baking sheets) for five minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack until cold. The shortbreads will keep for up to seven days in an airtight container.
Recipe adapted from The Great British Bake Off: Comfort Bakes: The official 2024 Great British Bake Off book by The Bake Off Team (published by Sphere). Photography by Ant Duncan.
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