Pecan Shortbread Cookies

Extra light and crispy Pecan Shortbread Cookies just may be the best shortbread recipe ever.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Western

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 12

Total Time 22

Servings servings

Calories 279kcal

Add the TREX and sugar to a large bowl and cream together using an electric hand mixer till the mixture is light and fluffy.
Mix in the orange juice and vanilla extract. Then add in the flours, chopped pistachios and salt and mix until you get a soft dough. If the dough is a little bit sticky then add in a tbsp or two of flour. If dough is to dry, add a tsp or two of water.
Split the dough into two and shape each one into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hr minimum.
Preheat oven to fan assisted 150C / 170C / 325F / gas 3.
Take the first disc of dough from the fridge, roll it out on a lightly floured surface till it is about 5mm thick and then cut into your desired shapes (I use a 6cm diameter cutter) and lay on a lined baking sheet.
Quickly scoop up the excess of dough, reshape, roll out and cut again. Repeat with the second disc of dough. You can freeze some of the cut shortbread at this stage.
Bake the shortbread for 12-14 mins until they are lightly golden.
Let the shortbread cool on the tray for about 10 mins before transferring it to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Serve with extra pecans dotted around.

Tips For Making Pecan Shortbread Cookies

You can either shape the dough into a log and slice, or roll it out and use a cookie cutter.
Try swapping the pecans for chopped walnuts or pistachios.
Make the dough ahead of time, cut and freeze to bake as needed. Just add another 2 mins to the baking time when you bake them from frozen.
Since shortbread is normally baked for a little bit longer at a lower temperature than most cookies, don’t be tempted to increase the temperature.
If you want your cookies to have a nice even colour throughout, then do turn them round at the halfway point.
Easily adapt this pecan shortbread cookies recipe into a simpler shortbread by omitting the pecans and pumpkin pie spice and adding approximately a quarter of a tsp of lime zest or other citrus zest to your taste. So, so good.

There are 10 Freestyle points in one serving of Pecan Shortbread Cookies.