Brown Butter Pecan Shortbread

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Light-colored saucepan for browning butter
• •Stand mixer or hand mixer
• •Sharp knife for slicing
• •Rimmed baking sheets
• •Wire cooling rack

Instructions

1. 1

   Toast the pecans

   Spread the pecans in a single layer on a dry baking sheet. Toast in a 350F oven for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until fragrant and a shade darker. You want to smell that deep, toasty aroma filling your kitchen. Watch them closely because pecans go from perfect to burnt in about thirty seconds. Let them cool completely, then chop medium-fine. You want pieces, not dust.

   Louisiana pecans have a sweeter, richer flavor than varieties from other regions. If you can get your hands on them, the difference shows in every bite.
2. 2

   Brown the butter

   Cut the butter into tablespoon-sized pieces and place in a light-colored saucepan. Light-colored is important because you need to see the butter change. Set over medium heat and let it melt completely, then keep cooking. The butter will foam and sputter as the water cooks off. Swirl the pan occasionally. After 4 to 6 minutes, the foam will subside and you will see golden-brown specks forming at the bottom. The kitchen will smell like toasting hazelnuts. The moment those specks turn the color of a pecan shell and the butter smells intensely nutty, pull it off the heat.

   The residual heat in the pan keeps cooking the butter after you remove it from the stove. Pour it into a heatproof bowl immediately to stop the process, or it will go from brown to black while your back is turned.
3. 3

   Cool the brown butter

   Pour the brown butter, including every speck of those precious browned milk solids, into a heatproof bowl. Scrape the pan well. Those bits are concentrated flavor. Let the butter cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until solid but still pliable, about 1 hour. It should have the consistency of cold cream cheese when you press it. Too soft and your dough will be greasy. Too hard and it will not incorporate properly.

4. 4

   Mix the dry ingredients

   Whisk together the flour and fine sea salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. In a separate small bowl, combine the powdered sugar and brown sugar, breaking up any lumps in the brown sugar with your fingers. The two sugars work together: powdered sugar creates that sandy, melt-in-your-mouth texture while brown sugar adds depth and a hint of molasses sweetness.

5. 5

   Cream butter and sugars

   Beat the chilled brown butter with the sugar mixture using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a hand mixer. Start on low to prevent a sugar cloud, then increase to medium speed. Beat for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is lighter in color and slightly fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat to combine. Do not overwork it. Shortbread is not cake. You want structure, not air.

   If your brown butter is too cold and the mixer struggles, let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. You want it pliable, not rock hard.
6. 6

   Add flour and pecans

   Add the flour mixture in two additions, mixing on low speed just until the flour disappears. Stop the moment you see a cohesive dough forming. Fold in the chopped toasted pecans by hand with a sturdy spatula, distributing them evenly throughout. The dough will be stiff and slightly crumbly. This is correct.

7. 7

   Shape the dough logs

   Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface. Divide it in half. Working with one portion at a time, shape into a log about 2 inches in diameter. If the dough cracks as you roll, press it back together firmly. The warmth from your hands will help. Wrap each log tightly in plastic wrap, twisting the ends like a candy wrapper to compress and smooth the shape. Roll gently on the counter to even out any lumps.

8. 8

   Chill until firm

   Refrigerate the wrapped logs for at least 2 hours, or overnight. The dough must be thoroughly chilled to slice cleanly. A soft log will squash and give you misshapen cookies. Patience here makes all the difference between neat rounds and sad ovals.

   For perfectly round cookies, rotate the logs a quarter turn every 20 minutes during the first hour of chilling. This prevents them from developing a flat side where they rest on the shelf.
9. 9

   Slice the cookies

   Preheat your oven to 325F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Unwrap the chilled dough and use a sharp knife to slice into rounds about 1/3-inch thick. A gentle sawing motion works better than pressing straight down, which can crack the edges. Place the rounds 1 inch apart on the prepared sheets. These cookies do not spread much.

10. 10

    Bake until golden

    Bake one sheet at a time in the center of the oven for 15 to 18 minutes. The cookies are done when the edges turn light golden and the tops look dry and set. The centers will still feel soft when you touch them. Do not wait for them to brown all over or you will have overdone it. Shortbread firms as it cools.

11. 11

    Finish and cool

    Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle each cookie with a few flakes of finishing salt while still warm. Let them rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. They are fragile when hot. Once completely cooled, they should snap cleanly when broken, with a sandy, crumbly texture that dissolves on your tongue.

Chef Tips

• •Buy pecans from a source with good turnover. Stale pecans taste like cardboard and no amount of toasting will save them. If possible, seek out Louisiana pecans from orchards in the northern part of the state.
• •The flaky finishing salt is not optional in my kitchen. That little crunch of salt against the sweet, buttery cookie is what keeps you reaching for another. Maldon or fleur de sel work beautifully.
• •These cookies make perfect gifts. Stack them in a mason jar with a ribbon, or layer between parchment in a tin. They ship well because they are sturdy once cooled.
• •If your dough cracks when you slice it, let the log sit at room temperature for five minutes to take the chill off. Too cold is better than too warm, but you want pliable, not rock hard.

Advance Preparation

• •Wrapped dough logs can be refrigerated for up to 5 days before slicing and baking. The flavor deepens as it rests.
• •Unbaked dough logs freeze beautifully for up to 3 months. Slice directly from frozen, adding 2 to 3 minutes to the baking time.
• •Baked cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. They actually improve after a day or two as the flavors meld.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 20g)