Cinnamon Shortbread Squares

Easy to make and easy to bake, these cinnamon shortbread squares are topped with a cinnamon glaze for extra sweetness and spice.

Cinnamon is one of my favorite spices for both sweet and savory dishes so when our host for this week’s Sunday FunDay chose National Cinnamon Day as our theme, I was delighted. 

I’ve been trying to search my own computer for old recipes I’ve saved and either never made or haven’t made for ages. This is one of them!

Cinnamon Shortbread Squares 

This recipe is adapted from a Nigella Lawson one from way back in 2005. It’s no longer on her website but you can find in New York Times Cooking.

Ingredients

For the cinnamon shortbread: 

1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon or 196g flour 

1/2 cup or 62.5g icing sugar 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1 cup or 227g cold butter, cut into small cubes

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

For the cinnamon glaze: 

6 tablespoons or 85g butter 

1 tablespoon Lyle's Golden Syrup 

1/2 cup or 62.5g icing sugar 

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Good pinch fine sea salt

To decorate AND up the cinnamon-ness: a sprinkle of cinnamon on the glaze, optional, but it is National Cinnamon Day today! 

Method

Preheat your oven to 325°F or 160°C and prepare a shallow 9x9 in or 23x23cm baking pan by lining it with baking parchment.

Cut the butter into cubes and chill in the freezer. 

Sift the icing flour and sugar together. 

In a food processor, combine the icing sugar/ flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Pulse until well combined. 

Scatter the butter cubes across the top and pulse again until mixture is crumbly and just beginning to come together. 

First it looks like sandy crumbs. 

Persevere until it just starts to get lumpy. 

Press mixture evenly into your lined baking pan. Chill in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. 

Bake in the preheated oven until the shortbread is firm, barely colored, golden around the edges, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a rack until warm.

While the shortbread cools, prepare the glaze. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and golden syrup together. 

Remove the pot from the heat and vigorously whisk in the icing sugar, cinnamon and salt until the glaze is free of lumps. 

Allow to cool just until slightly thickened. 

Whisk again and pour over the warm shortbread, using a spatula to spread it out to the edges. 

Sprinkle on some extra cinnamon, if desired. 

Allow to cool completely, then cut into 16 or 24 squares.

Enjoy!

As I mentioned above, today is National Cinnamon Day so my Sunday FunDay friends and I are sharing recipes with that wonderful, aromatic spice. Many thanks to our host, Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm. Check out the links below. 

• Apple Cinnamon Bread from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Cinnamon Beef Tagine from Culinary Cam
• Cinnamon Shortbread Squares from Food Lust People Love
• Easy Cinnamon Rolls with Fireball Glaze from Our Good Life
• Mario Under Water World Cake (Apple Cinnamon Cake) from Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Mexican Cinnamon Cookies from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Soft & Chewy Snickerdoodle Cookies from Sneha's Recipe
• Tilslørte Bondepiker from Mayuri's Jikoni

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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