Spicy fall shortbread and pecan slices

I placed a tray on the table in the middle of a room full of 40 people sipping wine like it was water, some still eating my prepared plate of pâté en croute, piassaladière and squash salad, and walked away wondering if someone was even going to take them, as wine lovers do not love to mix wine with sweets, yet, when I turned around five minutes later, the tray, so generously packed before, was empty. I looked around, and people smiled at me. That is how good these are. Pure gold, to my and many others' taste. 

This is my dearest fall version, but there is another one a but lighter and as good as this.


50 g golden caster sugar
50 g light muscovado sugar
bit of grated tonka bean
1/6 tsp cardamom powder
1/6 tsp ginger powder
1/5 tsp cinnamon
generous pinch of sea salt
250 g all-purpose wheat flour
50 g rice flour
200 g butter, room temperature

filling:
35 g butter, melted
2 medium eggs
80 g Demerara sugar
85 g maple syrup
75 g golden syrup
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp cacao powder
140 g pecans
finely grated zest of 1/2 orange 


Heat the oven to 160°. Line a pan 20 x 20 cm pan with baking paper.

Mix sugars, tonka, cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, and salt. Add both flours. Mix. Add butter and knead into a smooth dough just to the point that it is ready, not longer. The longer you knead, the harder the cookies will be. Press into a pan in an even layer, prick with a fork, and place in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, closer to the end of the baking time, mix all of the filling ingredients. 

Take out the shortbread, pour filling onto the shortbread, place in the oven and bake for around 20 minutes or until the filling is baked. Take out and leave to cool. Serve warm or cold.