It seems like there's a National Day for everything nowadays, but that's not going to stop me from sharing a GREAT pecan cookie recipe with y'all. Let's celebrate!
Being from the South, there's just something about this particular nut. I guess you could say we go nuts for pecans. Pecan pie, cookies, nougat, tarts, cheesecakes, fudge, turtles, brownies... There just isn't a dessert we can't add them to, to kick it up a notch. These toasted pecan cookies are great, and definitely need to be shared, come the holiday season.
What You'll Need
1-1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 cup softened, unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar, for rolling
1/3 cup sea salt, for sprinkling
Toast 'Em If You Got 'Em
In order for these cookies to live up to their name (and taste 100% better, in my opinion), you have to toast your pecans! Take those chopped pecans and lay them out on a cookie sheet covered in wax paper. Bake them at 300F for 15 minutes, stir twice.
Chill Out
Every one needs a little quiet time to "chill" and the dough in this recipe is no exception. Before you start this process it's important to note that the longer you're willing to let the dough rest in your fridge, the better these cookies are going to be. Anywhere from 3 hours to 3 days (no joke). Here's why the juice is worth the squeeze in this particular instance. Chilling thickens the cookie dough and give the flavors from the butter, brown sugar and toasted pecans time to become especially rich. Do yourself a favor, chill your dough.
Directions:
Set your oven to 300 degrees. Toast the chopped pecans on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet for 15 minutes.
In a large bowl, beat the butter with a hand mixer for 1 minute on medium until completely smooth. Add both the granulated sugar and brown sugar and beat on medium high until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla on the highest setting.
Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt together until combined in a separate bowl. On a low speed, slowly mix into the wet ingredients. The cookie dough will be really thick! Add the pecans, mix on low until evenly distributed. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours.
After chilling, let the dough sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Once chilled, the dough might crumble a bit, but it takes form as you work the dough with your hands and roll into balls. Scoop about 1 Tablespoon of dough for each ball. Feel free to roll the balls in granulated sugar for a little extra sparkle.
Bake for 11-12 minutes, until slightly golden brown around the edges. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet. If the cookies are too puffy, gently press down on them with the back of a spoon. They will slightly deflate as you let them cool.
That's all for now! Thank you so much for reading. If you decide to give this recipe a shot, let me know how they come out! ...And if you'd like to bake some of these bad boys from the comfort of a brand new kitchen, let me know! I have some great listings available!
-MW
