Brown Butter Pecan Cookies

Make Brown Butter - In a light colored saucepan and over medium heat, add unsalted butter. Swirl the pan and keep the butter moving around constantly. Once completely melted, the butter will foam and sizzle and gradually start to brown and deepen in color. You'll notice a nutty aroma and tiny brown specks at the bottom of the pan. The whole process should take about 5 to 7 minutes. Be careful not to burn it.
¾ Cup (170g | 12 Tablespoons) Unsalted Butter
Chill Brown Butter - Immediately transfer to a small glass bowl, making sure to scrape in all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Place in the fridge for 40 to 45 minutes, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes, until the butter has solidify to a soft and spreadable consistency. Please see photos in the body of the post as reference.
Prep the Pecans - If your pecans are not toasted, use this time to do so. You can toast them in a dry pan for 4 to 6 minutes over medium heat, making sure to stir constantly until lightly toasted. Remove from the heat and then finely chop them. Set aside and let cool.
¾ Cup (85g) Toasted Pecans
Combine Dry Ingredients - In a small mixing bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
1 ½ Cup (180g) All-Purpose Flour
½ Teaspoon Cinnamon
¼ Teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
Combine Wet Ingredients - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together softened brown butter, powdered sugar, maple extract and vanilla extract until light and fluffy. You can use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand-held mixer.
½ Cup (56g) Powdered Sugar
1 ½ Teaspoons Maple Extract
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Combine Wet & Dry Ingredients - In 2 additions, sift in the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Then mix in your finely chopped pecans. The mixture will look crumbly, which is normal.
Add Milk - Add 2 teaspoons of milk and combine. The dough will come together and will be more clumpy.
2 Teaspoons Milk
Shape Into a Log - Transfer the dough onto a clean work surface. Gather the pieces of dough together and shape it into a 7 to 8 inch (18 to 20 cm) log. Roll the log back and forth a few times until smooth. If you'd like to smooth and round out your log a little more, fold the parchment paper over the log once, then use a bench scraper or flat spatula to push the log against the paper at the base (see photo as reference). Push the ends of the log inward, if needed to maintain the its shape.
Chill - Wrap the log in parchment paper and chill for at least 30 minutes. If making ahead, wrap in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Preheat Oven - When you are ready to bake, set a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 350ºF (180ºC).
Slice - Using a sharp knife, slice the log into ¼ inch (6.3mm) thick discs. I was able to cut 26 cookies. The quantity will vary on how thick or thin your slices are. If you'd like a thicker cookie, cut them ½ inch thick.
Bake - Place cookies at least 1 inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 10 to 14 minutes. Shortbread cookies are ready when the edges start to become golden brown. I baked mine for 12 minutes, but you can go longer for crisper cookies. Keep remaining sliced cookies in the fridge to bake after. Cool cookies completely on a wire rack before enjoying!

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Instructions

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