Cut along the scored marks while warm; chestnut flour makes cold fingers especially prone to cracking.
Pressed chestnut-and-rice shortbread fingers with a low-gluten, dry sandy crumb.
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Chestnut Rice-Flour Shortbread Fingers Recipe
Follow the tray sizes, portions and baking intervals in the instructions below.
Total time includes hands-on preparation, required chilling or resting, whole-batch cooking, cooling and finishing.
Kitchen tools you’ll need
- mixing bowl
- spatula
- sieve
- 8-inch square metal pan
- parchment
- fork
- knife
- rack
Ingredients
US measures are approximate. Gram weights help keep portions consistent; spice weights vary with density.
Instructions
Mix the dough
- Mix the dough: Stir butter and sugar until smooth without aerating. Sift the three flours with salt and work into the butter with a spatula until clumps hold together. Chestnut flour must be finely milled and free of lumps.
Shape without chilling
- Shape without chilling: Line an 8-inch square metal pan with parchment. Press all dough evenly into the base, about 1/4 inch thick; dock and score 24 fingers in a 6 x 4 grid. No chilling is required.
Bake the pan
- Bake the pan: Heat oven to 325°F (165°C) conventional or 300°F (150°C) fan. Bake one 8-inch square pan on the middle rack for 30–35 minutes, rotating halfway, until the outer edges are golden and the center is dry and firm.
Cool and cut
- Cool and cut: Rest 10 minutes in the pan, recut the 24 scored fingers while warm, and cool a further 30 minutes in the pan before lifting. Cooling includes the pan rest.
Timing and scaling
- Timing and scaling: 20 min hands-on + 0 min required chill/rest + 35 min whole-batch oven baking + 40 min cooling/setting = 95 min. Cooling includes tray/pan rests and runs from the final tray; earlier-tray cooling may overlap later baking. Ingredient warm-up and frozen-dough thawing are extra; preheat during shaping/chilling. Scale ingredients and US equivalents, not oven temperature, piece sizes or per-tray bake time; extra trays extend the whole-batch time.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Ingredient science
Chestnut and rice flour replace nearly half the wheat flour, reducing gluten while rice adds a sandy finish.
Technique & texture
Cut along the scored marks while warm; chestnut flour makes cold fingers especially prone to cracking.
Finishing & serving
Serve the fully cooled fingers with coffee; avoid stacking before the centers have firmed.
Storage and make-ahead
| Method | How long | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | 5 days | Up to 5 days. Seal fully cooled cookies airtight in a cool dry room. Separate layers with parchment; keep away from moist treats. |
| Refrigeration | up to 7 days | Unnecessary; up to 7 days if needed. Baked refrigeration is unnecessary for this formula; use only if the room is warm. Seal airtight to prevent condensation and odors. |
| Raw freezing | 1 month | Up to 1 month. Freeze the unfilled dough tightly wrapped. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then shape and complete the stated chill. Thawing time is additional. |
| Baked freezing | 2 months | Up to 2 months. Freeze completely cooled cookies airtight with parchment between layers. Thaw sealed at room temperature for 1–2 hours. |
| Restoring | As described | Optional 3–5 minutes. Refresh plain cookies at 300°F (150°C) conventional or 275°F (135°C) fan for 3–5 minutes, then cool 20 minutes before sealing. This extra time is outside fresh-batch timings. |
Notes
- Scale ingredients, including US measures, without changing cookie size or oven temperature. Extra trays increase whole-batch time.
Nutrition
Approximate values per portion from the listed ingredient weights divided into 24 equal portions. Includes required fillings and finishes. Brands, unused coatings and actual portion size affect the estimate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why combine chestnut and rice flour?
Chestnut and rice flour replace nearly half the wheat flour, reducing gluten while rice adds a sandy finish.
When should I cut the fingers?
Cut along the scored marks while warm; chestnut flour makes cold fingers especially prone to cracking.
Why wait before stacking?
Serve the fully cooled fingers with coffee; avoid stacking before the centers have firmed.
