Pecan Sandies Recipe Barefoot Contessa

Gallery

Salted Butter-Pecan Shortbread Cookies Recipe

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe Summary test

active:

15 mins

chill:

4 hrs

total:

4 hrs 40 mins

Yield:

Makes 3 ½ dozen

Skip to Recipe

These buttery, salty-sweet slice-and-bake cookies will delight the butter-pecan lover in your life. For extra crunch, evenly coat both dough logs with turbinado sugar before slicing them into rounds. The dough can be made up to two days in advance if stored in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

Ingredient Checklist

1 cup butter, softened
¾ cup unsifted powdered sugar
1 cup chopped toasted pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup turbinado or Demerara sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
42 pecan halves (about 1 cup)

Directions

Instructions Checklist

Step 1

Beat butter in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until mixture is smooth, about 1 minute. Stir in chopped toasted pecans and vanilla.

Advertisement
Step 2

Whisk together flour and baking powder in a bowl. With mixer running on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture until blended.
Step 3

Transfer dough to a work surface; shape into 2 (7-inch) logs. Wrap logs separately in plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 2 days.
Step 4

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place turbinado sugar in a shallow dish. Unwrap logs, and brush evenly on all sides with egg. Roll each log in turbinado sugar. Cut logs into ⅓-inch-thick slices (you should have 42 cookies total), and place 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Top each cookie with 1 pecan half, pressing lightly to adhere.
Step 5

Bake in preheated oven until cookie edges are golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on baking sheets. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; cool 10 minutes.