Brown Sugar Pecan Cookies

 

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A chewy cookie brimming with toasted pecans and covered with a caramel or penuche-like frosting. Such a delicious holiday cookie!

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 28 cookies

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (283g) all-purpose flour(scoop and level to measure)
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (210g) packed light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup pecans, toasted, cooled and chopped into bits

Brown Sugar Icing

  • 3/4 cup (160g) packed light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp (90ml) half and half
  • 3 Tbsp (42g) unsalted butter, diced into 3 pieces
  • 1 1/2 cups (186g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 28 pecan halves (toasted or untoasted) , for topping

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

  2. In a medium mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking soda an salt for 20 seconds, set aside.

  3. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together butter and brown sugar until well blended.

  4. Mix in egg and vanilla. Add in flour mixture and mix just until combined then mix in pecans.

  5. Scoop dough out and shape into balls, about 1 1/2 Tbsp each (or using a medium cookie scoop). Drop onto prepared baking sheets spacing them 2-inches apart.

  6. Bake in preheated oven until nearly set, tops should appear under-baked, about 9 minutes.

     

    1. Cool on pan several minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

    2. Frost with brown sugar icing and add a pecan to each immediately after frosting each one before the frosting starts to set. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.

    For the brown sugar icing:

    1. In a small saucepan bring brown sugar, half and half and butter to a boil stirring constantly. Continue to boil, whisking constantly, 3 minutes.

    2. Remove from heat and stir in powdered sugar. Let cool several minutes until it starts to thicken, stirring occasionally. Thin with 1 tsp hot water a time as needed.

    3. Recipe source: adapted from Southern Living via The Recipe Rebel