Brown Sugar Pecan Shortbread
Brown Sugar Pecan Shortbread is a delicious blend of subtle sweetness and nutty crunch that is certain to become a family favorite.
Servings: 36 shortbread cookies
Calories: 107kcal
Ingredients
- 8 ounces (2 sticks, 225g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ⅔ cup (5 ounces, 140g) light brown sugar, packed
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt (See Tip 1)
- 2 cups (10 ounces, 283g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (4 ounces, 114 g) lightly toasted pecans, coarsely chopped (See Tip 2)
Instructions
- Place butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl. Beat together on medium speed until the mixture is very smooth, about 1 minute. Do not beat until light and fluffy. (See Tip 3)
- Add the flour and mix on low speed only until the flour disappears into the dough, about 1 minute. Don't work the dough much once the flour is incorporated. (See Tip 3)
- Fold in the toasted pecans with a wooden spoon or sturdy rubber spatula.
- Transfer the dough to a gallon-size Ziploc bag. Put the bag on a flat surface. Leaving the top open, roll the dough into a ¼-inch thick rectangle that completely fills the bag. As you roll, turn the bag occasionally and lift the plastic from the dough so that it doesn't cause creases. Seal the bag, and place it in the refrigerator or freezer for at least 2 hours or for up to 2 days. (See Tip 4)
- Preheat the oven to 325° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Put the Ziploc bag on a cutting board and slit it open. Disc discard the bag and turn the firm dough onto a parchment-lined board or counter. Using a ruler as a guide and a pastry cutter, pizza cutter, or sharp knife, cut the dough into 1-½ inch squares. Transfer the squares to the baking sheets and carefully prick each one twice with a fork, gently pushing the tines through the cookies until they hit the baking sheet. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. (See Tip 5)
- Bake at 325° F for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer the cookies to a rack to cool completely.
- Yield: 3 dozen cookies. (See Tip 6)
Video
Notes
- Can substitute regular table salt for fine sea salt. Also, if using salted butter, omit the salt.
- Spread pecan pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated 350°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool completely.
- You don’t want to beat the butter until light and fluffy because you want to minimize the incorporation of air into the dough. Air will make the shortbread puff up during cooking and then sink when cooled. Also, overbeating the dough results in gluten formation, which can make the shortbread tough.
- I generally put the prepared dough in the freezer primarily because I have more room in the freezer. You want the butter to become hard, whichever method you use.
- Pricking the cookies with a fork is termed docking. Docking allows the steam to escape while the cookies are baking. This prevents the cookies from puffing up during cooking.
- Store the pecan shortbread in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Also, the cookies can be frozen for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 107kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 18mg | Potassium: 27mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 159IU | Vitamin C: 0.03mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 0.4mg
