Oh y’all. I don’t know if I can admit this…but I must.
Here goes.
I…bought…vanilla…bean…paste…from…HomeGoods. I did. I looked at the stuff in Williams-Sonoma and decided that I just wasn’t willing to fork out 10-20 bones for the same stuff I saw at HomeGoods. Call me cheap, but the paste is goooooOOOOOoooood.
I’ll say this though: expensive vanilla bean paste or not, this shortbread is phen-O-menal. Talk about wanting something to eat with your coffee? Yeah, this is the stuff. It’s real life y’all.
Speaking of real life, can I just be one of the millions to say that I just don’t know what I’m going to do about my real life now that the Olympics are over? I mean, I spent the past 4 years getting excited about them and now? Now that they’re over? I’m going to have to go back to watchingGrey’s Anatomy reruns and dreaming of vacations.
Real life without inspiring athletes who can physically do so much more than me is going to be sad. So sad that I’m going to drown my sorrows in a pile of shortbread.
Who’s with me?!
WALNUT VANILLA BEAN SHORTBREAD
- 6 Tbsp butter, at room temperature
- 4 Tbsp packed brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste (or, if using vanilla beans, the seeds of 2 vanilla beans – you want it VERY vanilla!)
- 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp flour
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350. In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer cream together the butter and sugar. Add the vanilla and mix until combined. Add the flour and mix until just crumbly. Finally mix in the walnuts until evenly distributed. Press the mixture into the bottom of a round 8-inch pan (I had to wet my hands slightly to keep the dough from sticking). Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Remove from oven, gently cut into wedges, and let cool completely in the pan before removing. Once the shortbread is completely cool – DEVOUR!
OK OK maybe I’ll just watch all of the recorded events that I have on my DVR. For the next 4 years. You know, just to get ready!
I am sooo making this!!! Looks awesome!
I love Vanilla Bean Paste. So much so, that I have it on auto-ship from Amazon!
I’m totally bummed the Olympics are over, too. We can OD on Greys re-runs together! lol These cookies look delicious!!
i know, ours is too – which is probably a good thing. welcome back to productivity!
My tv time is about the plummet now that the Olympics are over! Maybe I can fill it with shortbread-making 🙂
I have never heard of vanilla bean paste. I’m intrigued!
you have to get some – so much flavor and you don’t have to pay the steep price for actual vanilla beans!
Yumm! Your shortbread looks fabulous! And I’m totally w/you on the Williams-Sonoma thing, they have my absolute favorite cocoa powder but its just so expensive! These look absolutely perfect with your home goods paste 🙂
I loooove cookies with my coffee and this shortbread looks fab. Might have to check out HG for the paste…I am with you when it comes to the pricey stuff!
I love shortbread! This looks amazing!!! My favorite girl scout cookies are the shortbreads and these look like a much more upscale and tastier version!! Thanks!!
This shortbread looks so delicious! I’m sad that the Olympics have ended, too, but now it’s SHARK WEEK! All I’m saying is that thank goodness I don’t have plans to go to the beach anytime soon! 🙂