Thick, buttery shortbread is accented by a crisp and fragrant pecan to create a simple and satisfying dessert. Serve with a cup of cocoa or coffee to bring out the deep and rich flavors.
Click here to skip to recipeThink it over: every time you taste something that’s delicious beyond imagining and you say, “What is in this?”, the answer is always going to be,Ā Butter. – Julia and Julia
This quote resonates deep in my baker soul, because if there’s one thing that can brighten my day it’s butter.
Loads and loads of butter, preferably mixed together with a generous amount of sugar and carbs. That’s why shortbread cookies will always be one of my favorites. That rich, buttery flavor is simply irresistible. And while I love a simple shortbread, I had some pecans in my cabinet that were just begging to be used. Pecans also have such a fragrant, nutty, rich flavor that can only serve to enhance shortbread. And presto… pecan print shortbread cookies were born.
Some quick tips
- The cookies are a little thicker than your normal shortbread, so you’ll want to leave them in the oven for a few minutes longer than for a thin shortbread. You’re aiming for a nice, crisp outside and soft, melt-in-your-mouth middle. It’ll pair perfectly with the snap of oven-roasted pecan on top.
- Make sure your butter is at room temperature so it can combine nicely with the sugar and create a smooth dough.
For the shortbread base, I modified this recipe: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/shortbread-cookies-recipe-1945855
Pecan print shortbread cookies
Equipment
- medium mixing bowl
- spatula
- Hand or stand mixer
- cooking sheet
- wax paper or aluminum foil
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature (3/4 cup)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 15 whole pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line baking sheet with parchment paper or foil
- Mix room temperature butter and sugar until well-combined, using a handmixer or paddle attachment of stand mixer on medium speed. Mix in vanilla.
- Sift to combine flour and salt and add to butter and sugar mixture using paddle attachment of stand mixer on low speed, or with a spatula.
- Shape into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Chill for 20 minutes in refrigerator.
- Remove dough from refrigerator and pinch off ~2 tbsp pieces of dough and roll into round balls. Each ball should be ~1 in. in diameter. Place balls about 2 inches apart on baking sheet.
- Gently flatten each ball with the palm of your hand until ~1.5 in. in diameter. Press a whole pecan into the center of each cookie.
- Bake for 14 – 18 minutes until outside is beginning to brown slightly.