Christmas Pecan Shortbread Cookies are classic American cookies enjoyed at holiday time!
Ingredients
1cupunsalted butter, softened
2/3 cupbrown sugar, light or dark
1cupchopped nuts- pecans, walnuts or a mixture
1 1/2cupsall purpose flour
1/2cupcornstarch
1/2teaspoonsalt
whole pecans for topping cookies
Instructions
Cream together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add 1 cup chopped nuts. Measure and sift together flour, cornstarch and salt. Mix dry ingredients into butter-sugar mixture in mixing bowl with mixer set on lowest setting, or use hands and large spoon to mix.
Turn out on lightly floured surface and knead in flour until cracks appear on surface of dough. Using small 1 inch scoop, make balls of dough.
Place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with fork and press pecan into center of cookie. Bake at 275 for about 20-30 minutes or until cookie is light golden color and cooked through. If the cookies spread while baking, use a small spatula and push the edges in to form a circle shape.
Notes
If the dough is too dry after mixing in dry ingredients and will not hold together, add 1-2 tablespoons milk or water.
Occasionally, the dough may be a bit too wet or soft. This is determined by many things. Humidity, temperature of climate, the softness of the butter, etc. If the dough seems sticky at all, add a tablespoon or two of flour to the dough. The dough should ideally look like it has been lightly dusted with flour, but not so much flour that it looks dry! If the dough is too wet, it will spread during baking, if it is too dry, the cookie will dry out and be a little tough.
Dough may also be rolled out and cut into strips and then baked.
This is a firm, crunchy cookie, perfect for dipping in hot cocoa!
Variations for the Christmas Shortbread Pecan Cookie:
The cookies may be rolled into balls and baked without flattening. After removing from oven, roll in powdered sugar. Let cool, then roll in powdered sugar again.
Leave off the pecan on top and dip half of the cookie into melted chocolate, or melt chocolate and drizzle on top of baked and cooled cookie.
Pecan Shortbread Cookies freeze well. They also keep well in a cool place, covered, for about a month.