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Fall is my favorite time. Specifically, the months of September to January, with all of their holidays and bonfires and cozy get-togethers. As I think back over the last five fall seasons of our time as a married couple, they have all looked very different with large themes running through each. Newly married, finishing school, house renovations. Covid, cancer. Wedding florals, new jobs. Cancer again, chemo. Living abroad. While each of these seasons could not be more different than the last, I find that through them all runs a beautiful vein: the grace of God and the love of others. Old friends, new friends and family have been such a joy to us and with each up or down, have been by our side. So, really, this season of fall, in my mind, is friend and family time. And while I was walking downtown yesterday praising the Lord for this most beautiful, magical, almost never-want-to-leave place that we get to live in right now, I simultaneously feel the desire to go for bar-b-que with old friends, set the table for hungry college siblings to enjoy Sunday dinner or spend an afternoon getting coffee with my mom. Like so many of our fall seasons, joy and hints of sorrow exist together. Each season is a gift, but each comes with changes from the previous. So, in that, I hope to enjoy my current one to the fullest with gratitude for past ones and anticipation for the next. Which brings me to our recipe today, as it feels like a perfect, complex, special taste of autumn to enjoy right now: Fall Spice Shortbread Bars. Blended from my mind in a combination of a favorite dessert of my parents and the sweetest gift box from home sent by a dear friend, these shortbread bars embody fall through their subtle spice, hint of sweetness, slight tang, and buttery, delicious comfort. If you are looking for a dessert or perfect afternoon treat that makes your house smell amazing and gives you the desire to share with friends and family, this one is for you.

Unusual Additions

While a traditional shortbread is primarily butter, flour and sugar, these fall spice shortbread bars have a few more unique additions that make them extra special.

Spelt Flour (Dinkelmehl)

One of the most surprising things when I moved to Germany and started baking was their variety of numbered flours. “All-purpose flour” as I knew it did not exist and therefore, after a sad cookie making experience, I dove deep into trying to really understand the different types of flour. Made from wheat, rye or spelt (all non GMO), the numbered flours indicate not only their gluten content, but what types of products are best made with that flour. One such flour type that I had bought was the popular “Dinkelmehl Type 630”, which I came to realize later on was white spelt flour!

Spelt flour is actually an ancient whole grain that is quite popular in Germany and recently, has been making a resurgence for US bakers as well. With high amounts of protein, carbs, fiber, iron and zinc, spelt flour is a complex carb that is wonderful for regulating blood sugar and overall is quite good for you.

Delicious in recipes, spelt flour makes a fabulous addition to these fall spice shortbread bars and might even convince you to think they are healthy, or at least not as bad as they could be!

Dark Chocolate

While everyone has their own opinions and chocolate preferences, I absolutely love dark chocolate. Rich in minerals and antioxidants with less sugar, any chocolate with a cacao percentage over 50% is considered dark chocolate. Feel free to go for an intense dark chocolate (75% or above) for a rich, bold flavor or a light dark chocolate (50% – 75%) for additional sweetness depending on your personal tastes. The bars themselves are not overwhelmingly sweet, so the chocolate can be a sweet or rich compliment to the shortbread. Likewise, for this recipe, simply grab a bag of chocolate chips, or even better, chop up a chocolate bar to provide a variety of sized pieces throughout the bars.

Fall Additions

While you certainly could stop with just the chocolate and shortbread, that would not lend them to be a taste of autumn! To give rich fall flavors, add in sliced almonds, chopped pecans, chopped dried cranberries and finely zested orange peel. The addition of the almonds and pecans provides the bars with a nutty crumb, additional staying power and protein, while the hint of dried cranberries and finely zested orange give very subtle nods to classic holiday flavors (which if you love cranberry orange flavor, definitely check out these amazing Cranberry Orange Bars!).

Constant Comment Tea

As the original tea of the American company, Bigelow, Constant Comment is an amazing blend of black tea, orange rind and spices. Over the past few months, on chilly nights, I have gotten into the habit of dipping a small piece of dark chocolate into a steaming cup of hot tea, almost as you would dip a biscotti in coffee. When a sweet friend sent us a goodie box of treats from home, she included a box of Constant Comment and it was such a welcome surprise that it immediately became part of my tea and chocolate habit that I looked forward to.

It was here that the pairing of chocolate, orange, and spices first came into my mind as a simply divine combination that could be worked into these shortbread bars. While it might seem strange at first glance, bear with me for a moment, as the spiced tea flavor provides a subtle fall tone to the chocolate, nutty, buttery shortbread. To add, simply cut open one tea bag of Constant Comment (or use 1 teaspoon of loose leaf Constant Comment) and dump it into your shortbread dough before adding your other mix-ins. The flavor added compliments the other tones of the shortbread and provides the perfect spiced taste throughout without being overwhelming or distinctly “tea”.

Recipe

Fall Spice Shortbread Bars

Nutty, buttery, spiced and perfectly sweet, these Fall Spice Shortbread Bars are a lovely taste of autumn. Made with spelt flour, nuts and natural ingredients, the bars are a great afternoon snack or evening treat.

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 50

Servings 15 Bars

Ingredients

1 ½ cups unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup + 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
2¼ cups spelt flour
1 tsp salt
⅔ cup brown sugar
½ cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
5 oz chopped dark chocolate
1 cup sliced almonds
½ cup chopped pecans
½ cup chopped dried cranberries
1 tbsp finely grated orange zest
1 teabag (1 tsp) Constant Comment tea
sprinkling sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325° before lining a 9 x 13 baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a little parchment overhanging the pan. It can helpful to slightly butter the baking pan to make the parchment sticks down properly.
Start by chopping the chocolate, pecans and dried cranberries. Once chopped, combine them with the sliced almonds in a bowl.
Next, mix together the butter, brown sugar and powdered sugar until smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract.
To the butter mixture, add in the spelt flour, all purpose flour, salt, orange zest, and Constant Comment tea from one cut open teabag (or 1 tsp of loose leaf tea). Mix until the shortbread mixture is evenly moistened and resembles clumpy sand.
Blend in the chocolate, nuts, and chopped dried cranberries. Transfer the mixture to the prepared paper lined pan. Using the bottom of a measuring cup (lightly floured on the base if needed), press into a single layer. Next, cut the dough with a sharp knife into at least 15 bars (5 by 3) and sprinkle with crystal sugar.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until deep golden brown. Remove from the oven and recut the bars along the same lines while the bars are still warm.
Use the parchment overhang as handles to lift the bars out of the pan and recut again if necessary. Enjoy warm or cool!
Keep the fall spice shortbread bars in an airtight container up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Keyword Dessert, Easy, Fall, Party Food, Snack, Spiced

A Taste Of Autumn: Fall Spice Shortbread Bars

Final Thoughts

As the first day of fall is almost upon us, these Fall Spice Shortbread Bars have been SUCH a perfect treat for transitioning into autumn. Fueled by thoughts of family and friends while combining ingredients commonly found here in Germany, these bars have been such a welcome blend of the old and new and most certainly will be coming back to our table in the months to come. Are fall recipes or shortbread variations a favorite of yours? Would these make your list to try this season? I can say that this flavor combination is so worth it and even slightly addicting, so be warned! These bars might become your favorite fall treats. But I would love to know what you think, so let me know in the comment section below or tag me in your baking process on Instagram!

Happy Fall!