45 shortbread recipes

Bite sized shortbread cookie with icing and sprinkles.

Maple syrup shortbread bars with a buttery shortbread base topped with a brown sugar, maple syrup, and toasted walnut layer. A two-layer cookie bar that's part shortbread, part praline.

Butterscotch shortbread cookies made with dark brown sugar and unsalted butter, topped with chopped walnuts or pecans pressed into the dough. Makes 72 bite-sized squares.

Egg shortbread cookies with a tender, crumbly texture from butter, sugar, and a whole egg. Blind-baked with pie weights for an even, golden result. Simple 5-ingredient recipe.

Whipped shortbread cookies that practically melt on the tongue. Beaten with cornstarch and powdered sugar for a cloud-light, almost feathery crumb. Top with a candied cherry or pecan half.

Buttery shortbread bites rolled in paprika, cayenne, curry powder, and cumin. A savory, spice-crusted appetizer that's totally unexpected and completely addictive.

Chocolate dipped macadamia nut shortbread cookies made with butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Slice-and-bake rounds dipped in melted chocolate for a Hawaiian-inspired treat.

The 2nd place winner in the Chicago Tribune's 1996 Annual Holiday Cookie Contest, a simple brown-sugar shortbread from Sandra Petrille of Naperville, Illinois.

cookies made from leftover pie crust with cinnamon sugar

Strawberry ice cream pie with a spiced shortbread crust and a swirl of warm fudge topping. Make-ahead frozen dessert that comes together in under 30 minutes.

Lemon buttermilk pie is a silky Southern custard pie, tangy with buttermilk and fresh lemon, baked low and slow in a blind-baked crust until just set. Chill it cold for a clean, creamy slice.

An authentic Dutch cheesecake made with grated Gouda cheese instead of cream cheese, lightened with beaten egg whites and studded with golden raisins. Baked in a shortbread tart crust with lemon.

Irish curd cake: a traditional sieved cottage cheese cheesecake in a shortbread crust with lemon zest and a sugar-butter glaze. Light alternative to heavy American cheesecake.

Layered pumpkin walnut pie hides a buttery brown-sugar walnut praline beneath a creamy, cream-cheese-rich pumpkin custard in a shortbread crust, crowned with baked pastry leaves. A Thanksgiving showpiece.

Almond crescent cookies, a classic holiday shortbread shaped into delicate crescents with chopped almonds, vanilla, and almond extract, rolled in powdered sugar after baking. Buttery, tender, slightly sandy.

Buttery crescent cookies with ground nuts, chilled overnight, then shaped into half moons and rolled hot in powdered sugar. A traditional Christmas cookie with crumbly shortbread texture.