It's no surprise that Em loves cookies. What is surprising is that I have been buying her packaged garbage cookies. She loves animal cookies and vanilla creme cookies. So, I thought a good homemade cookie to make for her would be a simple shortbread, and decided to go with the Pecan Shortbread Cookie.
These are so easy to make and well worth the effort, the flavor is fantastic and they keep forever in the freezer. Come to think of it, these are my mom's favorite cookies too.
Well, they were a hit. I made them into different shapes. At 18 months old I am trying to introduce Em to colors, shapes, letters, sounds, tastes and as much as I possibly can. I cut these cookies in circles, squares, triangles, and hearts. Each time she gets a cookie I review the shapes with her. It is a lot of fun too!
Hope you enjoy these, they are a commonly requested cookie and sooo delicious!
Recipe by Ina Garten
Pecan Shortbread Cookies
3/4 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups pecans
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla and almond extracts.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter/sugar mixture.
Small dice pecans.
Add the pecans and mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. If it is too crumbly a tablespoon of water at a time until it comes together. If it is too sticky, add a tablespoon of flour at a time until it is the perfect consistency. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
Roll the dough ¼ - ½-inch thick and cut into 2 1/2-inch squares with a plain or fluted cutter (or cut into any shape you like). Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet. If you are new at rolling out dough get some training wheels (as I like to call them). I went to the craft store and bought dowel rods in 1/8", 1/4" and 1/2" size. Cut them in half and you have a perfect frame. I learned to judge the perfect thickness by setting them on both sides of my dough rolling pin width apart and rolling my cookies out.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature and serve.
Click here for a printable version of this recipe - The Slow Roasted Italian.com
I love shortbread cookies and adding the pecans...YUMMY!
ReplyDeleteOhhhh I love shortbread! A classic cookie. They look perfect :)
ReplyDeleteI have this new obsession with pecans and almonds in dessert! I will be making these come fall! They have a fall look to me!! I cannot wait wait wait for Fall sick of this 100 degree weather we have here!
ReplyDeleteI'd like a dozen!
ReplyDeleteWait a sec, I just realized that you didn't bring me one of these to sample when I saw you last night. These look perfect. My mom would love them too!
ReplyDeleteI adore shortbread cookies. You just can't stop just eating one or two. Addictive and delicious!
ReplyDeleteI have made these cookies for years. I chill my dough for 24 hours and the pecan taste goes through them. For Christmas, I roll them into small logs and bake, then dust them two times with confectioners sugar. My family loves them and friends request them every year.
DeleteThese sound awesome, I should make some for my little guy 2 months younger than Em..
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Sounds wonderful! I haven't made shortbread cookies in ages...these look delightful! :)
ReplyDeleteTammy♥
I love Ina, lol! These look amazing and so simple to make =)
ReplyDeleteI have been collecting recipes for pecan shortbread cookies! Yours look great - can't go wrong with Ina Garten!
ReplyDeletePecan sandies were always my favorite packaged cookie, so these are right up my alley! What a great thing to do with Em...a great way to learn her shapes!
ReplyDeleteI always have a jar with shortbread cookies ,never made them with pecan:)
ReplyDeleteHomemade is always better than garbage cookies :) Love them!
ReplyDeleteI found you at my friend pegasuslegend, your recipes are fabulous! I'm following you immediately, I love to eat. These cookies are mouth-watering! I always make mine at home too, I don't let my daughter eat processed foods. Greetings from Rome!
ReplyDeleteI found a link to this recipe from Deelicious Sweets.
ReplyDeleteThese look wonderful...I only wish I could have one. :)
These look delish!! I just made a shortbread today as well-- I will be sharing it later in the week. I must say though, have you thought about buying vanilla beans and using seeds in the cookies? I used them today-- I love the specs in the cookies!
ReplyDeleteThese look great. I have been searching for a pecan shortbread and I'm making them tonight!
ReplyDeleteThese remind me of my mom's refrigerator cookies, yummy ! Could they be rolled into logs and sliced before baking?
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely! I bet that would be fantastic.
DeleteI would like to do a gluten free version. Any suggestions?
ReplyDeleteI love these..they also good rolled in powered sugar...Yummy my favorite!
ReplyDeleteHow much is 3/4 pound of butter?
ReplyDelete3 sticks of butter
DeleteCan I use black walnuts and black walnut flavoring?
ReplyDeleteAbout how many cookies does this recipe yield? Thank you
ReplyDeleteMMM Pecan Shortbread, trying these tomorrow! Nettie
ReplyDeleteWill this recipe work if I half it?
ReplyDeletewhat kind of sugar did you use.. most shortbread call for icing sugar and it looks like regular white sugar in photo
ReplyDeleteI use granulated sugar. They are quite phenomenal. Enjoy!
DeleteJust made these. They're awesome.
ReplyDeletemade them and they tasted blah ...hoping after freezing them they will tasre better
ReplyDeleteThis is the best shortbread recipe I have found. The cooking time is a little long. About 17 minutes made them perfect and them I dipped them in powdered sugar while they were still hot. Yummy!!!
ReplyDeleteVery good! Made them today. Ended up adding 1/2 cup coconut / almond milk to get them slightly wetter.
ReplyDelete