Butter Pecan Icebox Cookies

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Stand mixer or hand mixer
• •Rimmed baking sheet
• •Sharp chef's knife
• •Wire cooling rack
• •Plastic wrap or parchment paper

Instructions

1. 1

   Toast the pecans

   Spread pecans in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast in a 350°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Watch them carefully. You want them fragrant and slightly darkened, not burned. The oils will shimmer on their surface when they're ready. Let cool completely before chopping into rough pieces, some large, some small. The variation matters.

   Your nose knows before your eyes do. When the kitchen fills with that rich, nutty aroma, check immediately.
2. 2

   Cream butter and sugars

   In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with both sugars using a stand mixer or hand mixer on medium speed. Work it for a full 3 minutes until the mixture turns pale and fluffy, scraping down the sides once or twice. This incorporates air and dissolves the sugar crystals into the fat. Add the vanilla and salt, then beat another 30 seconds until combined.

3. 3

   Add flour and pecans

   Reduce mixer speed to low and add the flour in two additions, mixing just until no dry streaks remain. Overmixing develops gluten, which makes cookies tough instead of tender. Fold in the toasted pecans by hand with a sturdy spatula, distributing them evenly throughout the dough. The mixture will be stiff and slightly crumbly. That's correct.

4. 4

   Shape the logs

   Divide the dough in half. Turn each portion onto a sheet of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Using your hands, shape each into a log about 2 inches in diameter and 8 inches long. Don't worry about perfection, just aim for even thickness. Roll the log tightly in the wrap, twisting the ends like a candy wrapper to compact the dough. If the log seems loose or crumbly, press and roll it against the counter a few times to bring it together.

   For perfectly round slices, place logs inside empty paper towel tubes before refrigerating. The cardboard holds the shape as the dough firms.
5. 5

   Chill until firm

   Refrigerate the wrapped logs for at least 2 hours, or until completely firm throughout. Press the center with your finger. It should feel solid, not soft. Soft dough will squish when you slice, giving you oval cookies instead of rounds. Patience here pays dividends later.

6. 6

   Slice the cookies

   When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Unwrap one log and use a sharp knife to slice it into rounds about 1/4 inch thick. Rotate the log a quarter turn after every few cuts to maintain the round shape. Arrange slices on the prepared sheets with 1 inch of space between them. These spread only slightly.

7. 7

   Bake until golden

   Bake one sheet at a time in the center of the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges turn golden brown and the centers lose their raw sheen. The cookies will feel soft when you first pull them out. That's right. They crisp as they cool. Let them rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. The snap when you break one in half tells you everything.

Chef Tips

• •Buy whole pecans and chop them yourself. Pre-chopped nuts in bags have been sitting longer, their oils going slowly rancid. Fresh pecans smell sweet. Stale ones smell like cardboard.
• •The brown sugar delivers moisture and caramel notes that white sugar alone cannot. Don't substitute. If your brown sugar has hardened into a brick, microwave it with a damp paper towel for 20 seconds.
• •These cookies are forgiving teachers. If your first batch spreads too much, refrigerate the remaining sliced rounds for 10 minutes before the next tray goes in. If they don't spread enough, your dough was too cold. Adjust and continue.
• •For gift-giving, wrap logs in parchment, then decorative paper, with baking instructions attached. The recipient gets to bake fresh cookies. That's a gift worth remembering.

Advance Preparation

• •Dough logs keep refrigerated for up to 1 week, tightly wrapped.
• •For longer storage, freeze the wrapped logs for up to 3 months. Slice directly from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to baking time.
• •Baked cookies store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. They rarely last that long.
• •Toast pecans up to 5 days ahead and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 22g)