Pecan Shortbread Recipes

Steps:

• Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or silicon mat.
• In a large bowl with an electric mixer or a food processor, beat together butter and brown sugar until creamy.
• Add flour, ground pecans, vanilla and salt and beat just until it forms a smooth dough.
• Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour to allow it to firm up just enough to shape.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C).
• By hand, roll dough into 1-inch balls.
• Place them on the prepared cookie sheet and flatten very slightly (to about 1/2-inch thickness) with the bottom of a glass that has been dipped in flour to prevent the dough from sticking to the glass (If you have a cookie stamp, you can use it to flatten the cookies instead of the glass).
• Place in the oven and bake for 12 minutes or until set and very lightly browned on the bottom.
• Remove from pan and let cool on a rack.

Steps:

• Cream together the butter, 1/2 cup sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer, until mixture is light in color, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add the flour, salt, pecans, and almond extract, and mix until combined and the pecans start to break up.
• Wrap dough in plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator at least 1 hour or overnight. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a 1/4 inch thickness. Using 2 1/2-inch diameter fluted cookie cutters, cut cookies, and place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Return to refrigerator 1 hour more.
• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Sprinkle cookies with the remaining sugar, and bake until lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool.

Steps:

• Cream the butter and sugar in a standing mixer. Slowly add flour, then salt. Fold in pecan pieces. Roll dough into ball shape, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• On floured surface, roll dough out to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes (squares and triangles are my favorite, but a round cookie cutter can be used). Transfer cut out dough to ungreased cookie sheet. Prick with fork and chill again for 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bake 20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.

Steps:

• To toast the coconut and pecans: Place on separate baking pans and toast in a preheated 180 degree oven for 8-10 minutes, turning pans halfway through toasting, or until golden and fragrant. Finely chop in food processor.
• In a large bowl, cream butter with electric mixer. Add sugar and mix until light and fluffy. Add vanilla, flour and salt. Mix until combined. With a wooden spoon, mix in the pecans and coconut just until combined. Form dough into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes until firm, or freeze for up to a month.
• Butter 3 cookie sheets and preheat oven to 180 degrees.
• On a clean, lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a 1/4 in thickness. Cut out as many cookies as possible and place on cookie sheets, 1 in apart. Try not to re-roll scraps too many times, as this will toughen the cookies.
• Bake until golden brown, about 12-15 minutes, rotating baking sheets half-way through cooking.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line two 13x9-in. baking pans with foil, letting ends extend up sides of pan., Place flour, confectioners' sugar, cornstarch and salt in a food processor; pulse until blended. Add butter; pulse until butter is the size of peas. Divide mixture between prepared pans; press onto bottom of pans. Bake 10-12 minutes or until light brown. Cool on a wire rack., For filling, melt butter in a large saucepan. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook and stir until sugar is completely dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in chocolate chips, cream and vanilla until smooth. Stir in pecans. Spread over crusts., Bake 12-15 minutes or until filling is bubbly. Cool completely in pans on wire racks. Using foil, lift the shortbread out of pans. Gently peel off foil; cut each shortbread into 24 bars. Store in an airtight container.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350ºF.
• Combine flour and cornstarch. Beat butter and 1 cup sugar in large bowl with mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour mixture, mixing well after each addition. Add nuts; mix just until blended.
• Roll dough into 1-inch balls; place, 2 inches apart, on baking sheets. Flatten slightly with bottom of glass.
• Bake 13 min. or until centers are set and tops are lightly browned; cool on baking sheets 5 min. Add warm cookies, 1 at a time, to remaining sugar; turn to evenly coat both sides of each. Cool completely on wire racks.

Steps:

• Cream the butter, natural cane sugar, and 1 teaspoon of the salt in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a wooden spoon and beat until light and fluffy (see Know-how, page 315). Mix in the maple syrup and vanilla until evenly incorporated. Slowly add the flour on medium speed or with a wooden spoon, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl several times, just until all the flour is incorporated; do not overmix. Add the pecans and stir to mix.
• Turn the dough onto a piece of wax paper or plastic and roll into a 2-inch round log about 12 inches long. Combine the demerara sugar and remaining 1 teaspoon salt and stir to mix. Sprinkle the log evenly with the demerara sugar mixture and roll the log back and forth to adhere. Wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight, until firm.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two baking sheets or line with parchment paper.
• Cut the dough into 1/4-inch-thick slices and arrange on the baking sheets, spaced about 1 inch apart. Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with demerara sugar and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, shifting racks and rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until lightly golden around the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Serve warm or transfer to a baking rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container until ready to serve, or for up to 4 days.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Cream butter, oil, white sugar, and confectioners' sugar together in a large bowl using an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Stir in vanilla extract.
• Combine flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt in a separate bowl. Stir gradually into the butter mixture. Stir in pecans.
• Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place onto ungreased cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges are golden, 12 to 14 minutes.
• Remove from cookie sheets and cool completely on wire racks, 20 to 30 minutes.

Steps:

• Cream together butter, 1/2 cup sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until mixture is light in color, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add flour, salt, pecans, and almond extract, and mix until combined and the pecans start to break up.
• Wrap dough in plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator at least 1 hour or overnight. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a 1/4-inch thickness. Using 2 1/2-inch diameter fluted cookie cutters, cut cookies, and place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Return to refrigerator 1 hour more.
• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Sprinkle cookies with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and bake until lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Put butter, sugar, vanilla and cardamom in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally.
• Carefully add flour and pecans, and mix a few minutes more, at low speed at first, then medium, until dough comes together. Remove dough and knead for 1 minute. Press dough into a 9-inch square cake pan. (Alternatively, press into a 9-inch fluted French tart pan with a removable bottom.)
• Bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Let cool and cut into squares, bars or wedges with a serrated knife while still slightly warm. Store in a tin until needed. To serve, arrange on a plate and dust with confectioners' sugar.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in milk and vanilla. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle., On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut into 2x1-in. strips. Place 1 in. apart on greased baking sheets. , Bake at 325° for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool completely., For filling, combine caramels and milk in a large saucepan. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until caramels are melted and smooth. Remove from the heat; stir in the butter, sugar and pecans. Cool for 5 minutes. Spread 1 teaspoon over each cookie. , For icing, in a microwave-safe bowl, melt chips and milk; stir until smooth. Stir in the butter, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Cool for 5 minutes. , Spread 1 teaspoon icing on each cookie; top each with a pecan half. Let stand until set. Store in an airtight container.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, cloves, and baking powder. Mix in the butter using a fork until well blended. The dough will be flaky and separated. Stir in the pecans, and press into an 8 inch square pan.
• Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned on the top. Cut into squares while still warm, but do not remove from the pan. Allow to cool, then dust with confectioners' sugar.

Steps:

• Grind pecans in processor until coarse meal forms. Melt 1/2 cup butter in small skillet over medium heat. Cook until dark amber, stirring often, about 6 minutes (do not burn). Pour through fine strainer into small bowl. Chill just until firm, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 300°F. Whisk flour and salt to blend. Using electric mixer, beat brown butter, 1/2 cup butter, and sugar in large bowl until creamy. Beat in vanilla, then nuts. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed just to blend.
• Transfer dough to sheet of parchment paper. Form dough into rectangle. Place second sheet of parchment paper over dough. Press or roll dough into 12x8- inch rectangle. Remove top sheet of parchment. Transfer dough on parchment to baking sheet. Using fork, pierce dough all over, spacing 1 inch apart.
• Bake shortbread until golden brown and firm to touch, about 55 minutes. Leaving shortbread on baking sheet, cut lengthwise into 8 strips. Cut each strip crosswise into quarters. Cool 10 minutes on sheet on rack. Transfer cookies to rack to cool completely. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.