Pecan Topped Butter Cookies

DH challenged me, not on purpose, but by saying that cookies are not as elegant as cake. So, if you’re talking about a homey sort of cookie, then yeah, that’s true but it’s also true about cakes. So, I had a number of cookies I chose to bake to prove him wrong. (Hey, it’s Corona, we are looking for challenges during lockdown). This is one of them.

It seems like a simple enough cookie, but the pecan top adds elegance and frankly, these cookies are a melding of flavors that make you say, hmmm, maybe just one more. It’s true you are only using egg yolks in the batter (and yes, I have a recipe to use up the whites, stay tuned for next week)(Btw, egg whites keep well covered in a glass with plastic wrap for 2-4 days or frozen for like forever and you can defrost overnight in the fridge) and DO NOT CHEAT and use whole eggs instead. Do that, and it’s just a cookie. The yolks give you a tender crumb and richness and it’s a whole ‘nother thing. Btw, I know it’s sacrilegious to say so, but these cookies (despite the title) taste just as good with margarine as butter. I know that sounds impossible, try it and see.

So start with your softened butter/marg. Really soft so that the sugar and butter beat up smooth. Scrape down sides, bottom and beaters with spatula and beat again.

When nicely incorporated, add the egg yolks and beat smooth. Add the vanilla and the lemon or orange juice beat briefly and add the flour and salt and grated peel of a lemon or orange. Beat till a nice thick dough is formed, a minute or two. A note. This dough has no leavening, no baking powder or soda and that is correct. It directly goes to the texture of the cookie, it’s no mistake.

Note the nice thick dough above, that’s how it should look. This recipe makes 3-4 dozen cookies depending on their size. I use a medium cookie scooper (Oxo) which is about 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of cookie dough per cookie.

Take a piece of parchment paper or silicone mat and sprinkle generously with plain sugar. Roll your cookie balls in the sugar till all done with dough batter.

Now prepare the baking sheet (rimmed or not, doesn’t matter) and place a clean piece of parchment paper on it and place dough balls about an inch apart. Cover lightly with another piece of parchment paper and taking a clean glass, press down on each ball (parchment below glass so it won’t stick) till flat.

The cookies should be about 1/4 of an inch, doesn’t have to be perfect, this is just to give you an approximation.

Peel top parchment sheet off and press half a pecan into the middle of each cookie.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cookie is golden on top and lightly browned on the bottom (mine can go from 11-12 minutes but everyone’s ovens are different). Cool on cookie sheets on wire racks. Don’t try to remove cookies till cold or they can crumble and break on you. When cold they are easy to remove. Serve as a delightful dessert after a lovely meal or a super snack when you deserve it! And if you pair it with tea, coffee or hot chocolate, all the better. They also freeze beautifully.

Pecan Topped Butter Cookies

1 cup softened butter/margarine 225 grams
1 cup white sugar (do not use brown sugar for this)
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons orange or lemon juice
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Grated peel of one lemon or 1 small orange
untoasted pecans, enough for each cookie (about 40-48)
Additional sugar for rolling cookies in

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Into mixing bowl, place the soft (!) butter/marg and the sugar and beat till smooth, scraping the beater and sides of bowl and re-beating.

Add the egg yoks one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and orange or lemon juice and beat briefly. Add the flour, salt and peel and beat smooth.

Take out a few sheets of parchment paper and a glass and plain sugar. Make or scoop balls of all the dough and roll lightly in the sugar which you’ve sprinkled generously on a sheet of parchment paper or silicone mat. Then place balls at one inch intervals on clean parchment paper set on a baking sheet, cover with an additional piece of parchment paper and using the bottom of a glass, press down on each ball till flat (see pic above). Take your unbaked pecans and press a half pecan into the center of each cookie till it’s nicely stuck in the middle. Bake 10-12 minutes until bottoms are lightly browned but tops are still light. Let cool on cookie sheets on wire racks. Remove when cooled (or they can crumble on you, once cold, they won’t).