Brown Sugar-Pecan Shortbread Cookies
Updated Nov. 26, 2024
- Total Time
- 45 minutes, plus 2 days' refrigeration
- Rating
- Comments
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Ingredients
- 1½cups flour
- ¼cup cornstarch
- ¼teaspoon salt
- Pinch of ground clove
- 2sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾cup packed light brown sugar
- ½cup finely ground pecans
- Confectioners' sugar (optional)
Nutritional analysis per serving (42 servings)
82 calories; 5 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 16 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt and clove.
- Step 2
Using a mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Stop the mixer to scrape down the sides. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Add the pecans and mix just until combined.
- Step 3
Place the dough on a sheet of plastic wrap. Cover with another sheet of plastic and shape into a square. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll the dough between the plastic to ¼-inch thick, and into a 9½ x 11-inch rectangle. Refrigerate for at least 1½ hours, or up to 2 days.
- Step 4
Position two oven racks so they divide the oven into thirds. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Discard the plastic sheets from the dough. Trim the edges to form a 9-by-10 ½-inch rectangle, then cut the dough into 1½-inch squares. Place the squares on the baking sheets, then, with a fork, pierce each cookie twice all the way through. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back after 9 minutes. If desired, dust the cookies with confectioners' sugar while still hot. Transfer to a rack to cool.
Private Notes
Comments
I toasted the pecans before grinding and added a teaspoon of vanilla in place of the cloves. The results were delicious. These cookies must be frozen before baking; they will spread no matter what you do, but this keeps the monster contained. I usually prefer underbaked cookies, but the crisper ones in my batch were the best. Yum!
Cut the formed dough into thirds, wrap in saran and freeze. The frozen cookies will keep their form better when you cut them to bake. And you will have two more batches to use later.
I'm confused by the dimensions given for rolling the dough.
What does 9/10.5/2 mean?
I think you meant 1/2 inch thickness.
Please clarify.
I just made these and read the comments before making. I had high hopes that after having the dough in the fridge over night, cutting and shaping and having the dough in the freezer for a couple of hours that the cookies would be successful. They taste good but the definitely still spread even cooking from frozen. They are much thinner after spreading than any shortbread I have seen before. Is it bc of the light brown sugar? Does it contain too much moisture? I have read shortbread cookies are typically made with confectioners sugar. I didn’t cook them all off just six, hopefully more time in the freezer will work with the next batch.
First time I made these I doubled the pecan amount, second time I tripled it.
Great recipe! Like others who posted here I used vanilla instead of clove. After chilling the dough I rolled it into logs, wrapped them in plastic wrap and froze them overnight. I sliced the logs into 1/3-inch pieces and placed them on the baking sheets. Bake for 9 minutes, remove from oven and prick with fork. Return to oven rotating the pans top to bottom and front to back. Bake for 9 minutes. Marvelous crispy cookies!