Pecan Shortbread - Guide Recipe
These awesome cookies utilize a technique that Dorie Greenspan uses in rolling out the sticky dough. She places the dough in a gallon ziploc bag and rolls it out with a rolling pin. Absolutely brilliant in my opinion!
I first blogged about these incredible cookies on August 11 , 2012. This is an updated post with new photographs and re-written text.
Ingredients For Pecan Shortbread:
I used the following ingredients for the Pecan Shortbread: Room temperature unsalted butter , confectioners’ sugar , vanilla extract , all-purpose flour , and roasted pecans.
Ingredients;
- 1 cup (2 sticks , 8 ounces) unsalted butter , room temperature
- 3/4 cup (3 ounces) confectioners' sugar
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (4 ounces) toasted pecan pieces (See Note 1)
- Confectioners' sugar for dusting Optional
Instructions;
- Place butter , confectioners' sugar , and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat together on medium speed until the mixture is very smooth , about 1 minute. Do not beat until light and fluffy. Add the flour , and mix on low speed only until the flour disappears into the dough , about 1 minute. Don't work the dough much once the flour is incorporated. Fold in the toasted pecans with a wooden spoon or sturdy rubber spatula. (See Note 2)
- Using the spoon or spatula , transfer the dough to a gallon-size ziploc bag. Put the bag on a flat surface. Leaving the top open , roll the dough into a 1/4-inch thick rectangle that completely fills the bag. As you roll , turn the bag occasionally and lift the plastic from the dough so that it doesn't cause creases. Seal the bag , and place in refrigerator or freezer for at least 2 hours , or for up to 2 days. (See Note 3)
- Preheat the oven to 325° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Put the ziploc bag on a cutting board and slit it open. Turn the firm dough onto a parchment lined board or counter; discard the bag. Using a ruler as a guide and a pizza cutter or sharp knife , cut the dough into 1-1/2 inch squares. Transfer the squares to the baking sheets and carefully prick each one twice with a fork , gently pushing the tines through the cookies until they hit the baking sheet. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. (See Note 4)
- Bake at 325° F for 20 to 25 minutes , rotating the sheets from the top to bottom and front to back at the midway point. The cookies will be very pale - they shouldn't take on much color. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool.
- If desired , dust the cookies with confectioners' sugar while they are still hot. Cool the cookies to room temperature before serving. Yield: 4 dozen cookies.
Recipe Notes;
Note 1: Spread pecan pieces in a single layer on baking sheet. Bake in preheated 350° F oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool completely.
Note 2: The reason that you don't want to overheat the dough is that the more you beat , the more air is incorporated into the cough. This causes the cookies to puff up when they are baking and to sink when they are cooling.
Note 3: I tend to put the prepared dough in the freezer , primarily because I tend to have more room in the freezer. You want the butter to become hard , whichever method you use.
Note 4: Pricking the cookies with a fork is termed docking. Docking allows the steam to escape while the cookies are baking. This prevents the cookies from puffing up during cooking.
s: pudgefactor.com
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