Pecan Shortbread

Directions

Take your pecans and spread them out on a cookie sheet.  We want to toast them, so don’t add parchment paper or anything, just put the pecans directly on a sheet.  Put in the oven at 350 and heat them until they start to brown and start to smell really good and strong.  You’re going to want to flip them with a spatula halfway through, so figure maybe 3 of 4 minutes per side.

When done, take them out of the oven and turn the oven off.

Put the flour, cornstarch, salt and the pecans into a bowl and whisk together until well combined.  Set aside for a moment.

In a separate bowl add the butter, ½ cup of the brown sugar and vanilla and beat together until fluffy, just about a minute.

Add in the flour and pecan mixture, a bit at a time, and beat on a low speed until everything is well combined.  Add in the cold water and beat again until that’s just combined.

Shape the dough into a log about an inch and a half wide and wrap the dough in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate the dough for a least an hour, but overnight totally works.

When you’re ready to bake, cut the log into pieces about a quarter inch wide and place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.  They won’t spread too much, so I was able to get 8 per sheet.

Put your remaining 3 tablespoons of brown sugar in a bowl and sprinkle the sugar over each cookie slice.

Bake the cookies at 350 for about 18-20 minutes, or until they start to get nicely brown around the edges.

When they’re done, take them out of the oven and move them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 20-25 cookies.