Description
Homemade pecan sugar cookies with brown butter icing deliver a delightful symphony of nutty warmth and sweet complexity. Buttery crunch and silky glaze create an irresistible dessert that will charm guests with its elegant simplicity.
Ingredients
Scale
Primary Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups (150 grams) pecan halves
- 2 1/4 cups (281 grams) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (170 grams) unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg
Base Ingredients:
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Icing Ingredients:
- 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups (180 grams) confectioners sugar
- 3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) milk
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Optional: 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Carefully toast pecans in a preheated 300°F oven for 8-10 minutes until aromatic, then allow to cool briefly. Chop the nuts, setting aside 3/4 cup for cookie dough and remaining nuts for garnishing.
- Combine dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl, whisking flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together thoroughly.
- Using an electric mixer, cream butter and brown sugar until smooth and fluffy, approximately 2 minutes. Incorporate egg and vanilla extract, mixing until well combined.
- Gradually fold dry ingredients into wet mixture on low speed, ensuring complete integration. Gently fold in toasted pecan pieces. If dough feels overly tacky, sprinkle an additional tablespoon of flour.
- Divide dough into two equal portions. Roll each section on floured parchment paper to 1/4-inch thickness. Layer rolled dough between parchment sheets and refrigerate for 1-2 hours to firm.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. Extract chilled dough and cut into desired shapes, positioning cookies 3 inches apart.
- Bake cookies 12-13 minutes until edges turn golden brown. Allow initial cooling on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack for complete cooling.
- Create brown butter by melting butter in a light-colored skillet over medium heat, stirring continuously. Watch for foaming and nutty aroma development, which occurs after 5-8 minutes. Remove from heat and rest 5 minutes.
- Whisk confectioners’ sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt into browned butter until achieving smooth consistency.
- Dip cookie tops into icing or spread with knife. Immediately garnish with reserved toasted pecans.
- permit icing to set at room temperature for several hours before storing or stacking cookies.
Notes
- Toasting pecans intensifies their nutty flavor and adds a delightful crunch to the cookies, creating a rich, aromatic base.
- Chilling the dough helps prevent spreading and ensures clean, crisp cookie shapes with defined edges during baking.
- Use a light-colored skillet when browning butter to easily monitor the color change and prevent burning, which can turn the butter bitter.
- For gluten-free variation, swap all-purpose flour with a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend to accommodate dietary restrictions without compromising taste.
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 218
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 73mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 24mg