Pecan Shortbread Cookies

These buttery cookies are not too sweet and they have the wonderful aroma from the addition of toasted, ground pecans. There are no eggs in this recipe, so if you love sneaking a little cookie dough to taste, you can nibble this one guilt free!

Ingredients:

2 Cups all purpose flour (fluff and spoon flour into the measuring cup to measure properly)
1 cup toasted pecans (spread nuts on a tray and bake at 350 degrees F for about 8 minutes to toast)
½ tsp. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter 
¾ cup confectionery sugar
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Combine half of the flour with the toasted, cooled pecans and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Using on/off turns, pulse to finely chop the pecans.  Reserve the other half of the flour.

Using an electric mixer or a hand held mixer and a large bowl, cream the butter, the confectionery sugar, and vanilla till well blended. Add the pecan/flour mixture and remaining flour and mix thoroughly  to combine into a dough. Divide dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.

Using a generous tablespoon of dough at a time drop the dough  onto a parchment lined cookie sheet, flattening  the cookies slightly. They should be spaced about 1” apart. Bake until light brown and firm to touch, approximately 18 minutes.  Cool on baking sheets.