Pecan Cutout Cookies

Name: Pecan Cutout Cookies
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: about 4 dozen
Ingredients: 2 cups pecan halves (8 ounces); 1 cup sugar, divided; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 cup cold butter, cubed; VANILLA SUGAR:; 2/3 cup sugar; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Total Time Prep: 35 min. Bake: 10 min./batch + cooling

Yield about 4 dozen

Contest Winner

Test Kitchen Approved

My husband's grandmother made these buttery cookies using a star cutter. I've never tasted a cookie quite like it, so nutty and flavorful. —Louise Reisler, Bonduel, Wisconsin

Ingredients

2 cups pecan halves (8 ounces)
1 cup sugar, divided
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cold butter, cubed
VANILLA SUGAR:
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 325°. Place pecans and 1/2 cup sugar in a food processor; process until pecans are finely ground. Transfer to a large bowl.
Stir flour and remaining sugar into pecan mixture; cut in butter until crumbly. Transfer mixture to a clean work surface; knead gently to form a smooth dough, about 2 minutes. (Mixture will be very crumbly at first, but will come together and form a dough as it's kneaded.) Divide dough in half.
On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 3-in. cookie cutter. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Cool on pans 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a shallow bowl, mix vanilla sugar ingredients until blended.
Dip warm cookies in vanilla sugar to coat; cool completely on wire racks. Store in airtight containers.

Nutrition Facts

1 cookie: 109 calories, 7g fat (3g saturated fat), 10mg cholesterol, 34mg sodium, 12g carbohydrate (7g sugars, 1g fiber), 1g protein.

My husband's grandmother made these buttery cookies using a star cutter. I've never tasted a cookie quite like it, so nutty and flavorful. —Louise Reisler, Bonduel, Wisconsin

Recipe Creator