Spring has finally arrived, friends. I can't even begin to express my utter glee after a sunny weekend spent up north at our cabin the last few days. Sunshine + Cabin + Awesome Cookies = Best weekend in a VERY long time. I ate way more of these cookies than I would care to admit, but we did some hiking, so it's even stevens.
These Butter Pecan Cookies are out of this world. I think I would currently rank them higher on my favorites list than chocolate chip cookies. I'm serious. They really are my favorite cookies on this entire blog right now. They're rich, nutty, buttery, and incredibly soft. There are a few things you need to be sure to do when baking these cookies to ensure that they're earth-shatteringly soft and good.
First, chill the dough. This means refrigerate it for at least 2 hours. I like to scoop the dough out onto the baking sheet then cover it with plastic wrap so that after 2 hours, I can just pop the tray right into the oven. This step ensures that the cookies hold their shape and don't spread out into a flat messy blob.
Second, to make sure they're extra soft, be sure to include the corn starch. Why use corn starch in a cookie recipe? Corn starch absorbs moisture without adding additional protein or gluten to the dough. This means that the cookies turn out more moist and tender than they would without the cornstarch. If you've ever made homemade shortbread, you've probably noticed that there is a lot of cornstarch in the recipe for the same reason.
Third, bake the cookies just until the very outer edges start to turn golden, then take them out of the oven and let them cool on the cookie sheet for several minutes. The centers will set more as they cool.
Soft Butter Pecan Cookies
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (175 grams) chopped pecans, toasted
- 1 cup (2 sticks/226 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (200 grams) light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups (312.5 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Toast the pecans: In a dry nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, toast the pecans just until fragrant. Set aside.
- Cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add eggs and vanilla and continue beating until light, about 2 more minutes.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and corn starch together.
- Add flour mixture and toasted pecans to the mixer bowl and mix just until combined.
- Divide into 24 balls and arrange on 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper or Silpat liners.
- Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and bake 12-14 minutes or until the outer edges are lightly golden. the centers will still be shiny.
- Let cool several minutes on the baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
CakePants
These look SO tantalizing - I love butter pecan ice cream so I'm sure I'll love these cookies as well. And the weather this past weekend? Absolutely glorious. I can only imagine how lovely your weekend at the cabin was.
Sammie
These butter pecan cookies look amazing. I'm gonna have to make me some! Thanks for a fab recipe! Sammie http://www.feastingisfun.com
Mandy
Thanks so much for visiting, Sammie! I hope you like them.