Black Sesame–Brown Sugar Shortbread

From the kitchen of Carly

Buttery shortbread gets an earthy hit from toasted black sesame seeds and brown sugar sweetness. These delicate triangles shatter on your tongue with a subtle nuttiness that lingers long after the crumb dissolves. Simple, elegant, addictive.

Prep
n/a
Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 11 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 11/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
  • 12 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 12 tbsp cornstarch
  • 11/2 tsp salt
  • 12 tbsp plus 2 tsp black sesame seeds

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325° with racks in center and upper third. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

  2. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

  3. Whisk together flour, cornstarch, salt, and sesame seeds. Add flour mixture to butter mixture, 1 cup at a time, beating after each addition until incorporated. Transfer mixture to a surface and knead into a smooth dough. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

  4. Transfer chilled dough to a lightly floured surface; roll into a 1/2"-thick rectangle. Cut into 2" squares, then cut each square into triangles. Transfer to prepared baking sheets.

  5. Bake until edges are light golden brown, 20-22 minutes. Let cool.