Butter Pecan Cookies
Butter Pecan Cookies
A while back I posted cookies with browned butter and raved about how much flavour browning the butter brought to the cookies, so I was excited to try another cookies recipe with this technique. They add so much flavour to cookies! I loved these cookies because they’re a bit unique, but something I think most people will like.
INGREDIENTS
Buttered Pecans
1 1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
Cookies
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. cornstarch
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs + 1 egg yolk
1/2 cup pecan halves
2 tsp. sanding sugar*
YIELD
2 dozen
TIME
Prep - 20 minutes
Chill- 30-60 minutes
Bake - 12 minutes
TOOLS
Large skillet
Medium saucepan
2 large bowls
Stand or hand mixer
Baking sheets and cooling racks
DIRECTIONS
Melt the 3 tbsp. of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add in the chopped pecans and stir well. Cook, stirring frequently for 5 minutes, until pecans are lightly toasted. Set aside.
Melt 1/2 cup of butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Continue to cook the butter, stirring frequently, for 5-8 minutes. The butter will get foamy, then golden, and finally a toasty brown with bits in the bottom.** Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
In a large bowl whisk together flour, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand or hand mixer, beat the cooled butter with both sugars for 3 minutes. Add in vanilla, eggs and egg yolk. Beat until combined.
Stir in the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Fold in the buttered pecans.
Form into two disks, wrap with plastic wrap, and put in the fridge to chill for 1-2 hours.
Remove dough from the fridge and preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
Using a medium cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop dough into balls and place on prepared baking sheets. Leave room for them to spread. Firmly press a pecan half on top of each ball. Sprinkle with sanding sugar.
Bake for 10-11 minutes. It will be hard to tell when they’re done because the dough is already brown, so carefully use a slotted spatula to check the bottoms are set. They will continue to set as they cool.
Cool on a cooling rack.
Recipe adapted from two different recipes from Baker by Nature.
TIPS
*If you don’t have sanding sugar, this recipe taught me that instead you can use granulated sugar, BUT you have to sprinkle onto the cookies AFTER they come out of the oven. If you put regular sugar on before it will melt.
**Check out my other recipe for more instructions on browning butter.
