Butter Pecan Cookies

Name: Butter Pecan Cookies
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 dozen
Ingredients: 1-3/4 cups chopped pecans; 1 tablespoon plus 1 cup butter, softened, divided; 1 cup packed brown sugar; 1 large egg, separated, room temperature; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 cups self-rising flour; 1 cup pecan halves

Total Time Prep: 25 min. + chilling Bake: 10 min./batch

Yield 4 dozen

Test Kitchen Approved

These buttery soft, flaky butter pecan cookies are rich in flavor and versatile enough to complement other desserts and sweet treats too.

Ingredients

1-3/4 cups chopped pecans
1 tablespoon plus 1 cup butter, softened, divided
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg, separated, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups self-rising flour
1 cup pecan halves

Directions

Preheat oven to 325°. Place chopped pecans and 1 tablespoon butter in a baking pan. Bake 5-7 minutes or until pecans are toasted and browned, stirring frequently. Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, cream brown sugar and remaining 1 cup butter until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla. Gradually add flour and mix well. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or until easy to handle.
Preheat oven to 375°. Roll dough into 1-in. balls, then roll balls in toasted chopped pecans, pressing nuts into dough. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Beat egg white until foamy. Dip pecan halves into egg white, then gently press 1 into each ball.
Bake at 375° until golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks.

Nutrition Facts

1 cookie: 115 calories, 9g fat (3g saturated fat), 15mg cholesterol, 97mg sodium, 9g carbohydrate (5g sugars, 1g fiber), 1g protein.

When my daughter was a teen, these butter pecan cookies earned her blue ribbons from two county fairs. Then a few years ago, her own daughter took home a blue ribbon for the same cookie. Needless to say, these mouthwatering morsels are winners! —Martha Thefield, Cedartown, Georgia

Recipe Creator