Food and Recipes Desserts Cookies Butterfingers Be the first to rate & review! The perfect choice for your holiday cookie tin. By Rob McDaniel Rob McDaniel McDaniel’s passion and respect for traditional Southern cuisine was first inspired by the foods his grandmothers prepared while he was growing up in Haleyville, Alabama. At Auburn University, McDaniel decided to pursue this passion as a career and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in hotel and restaurant management. After graduating, McDaniel headed north to Montpelier, Vermont, where he studied at the New England Culinary Institute. During his time there, McDaniel honed his knowledge of and appreciation for sustainable cooking and became an advocate for supporting local farmers and preserving regional resources. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on December 16, 2022 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford Active Time: 20 mins Total Time: 1 hrs 40 mins Yield: 30 cookies Not to be confused with the candy bar, these slender and crisp butter cookies are studded with chopped pecans and coated in powdered sugar, for a sweet and nutty addition to the holiday cookie tin. The low-effort cookies require only a handful of ingredients, mostly baking staples you likely have on hand, and the mixer does all of the hard work. Friends and family, especially the little ones, can join in on the fun and help shape the cookie dough into their signature log shapes. After baking, make sure to allow the cookies to cool slightly before rolling them in the powdered sugar. You want the cookies cool enough to handle, but still warm, so the powdered sugar adheres well. he hardest part of this recipe is resisting the urge to eat all the warm, freshly baked Butterfingers. Remember, you’ll need a few to leave out for Santa on Christmas Eve! Ingredients 1 cup unsalted butter, softened 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar, plus more for rolling 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1/4 tsp. kosher salt 2 cups chopped pecans Directions Preheat oven to 250°F with racks in top and bottom positions. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Beat butter and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low; gradually add flour, vanilla extract, and kosher salt. Beat until just combined, about 2 minutes. Stir in pecans. Shape dough into 30 (1 1/2-tablespoon) logs, each about 2 1/2 to 3 inches long. Arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake in preheated oven until bottoms are just browned, about 50 minutes, rotating baking sheets between top and bottom racks halfway through baking time. Let cool slightly on baking sheets, about 10 minutes. Roll warm cookies in additional sugar to coat. Let cool completely on baking sheets, about 20 minutes. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Rate it Print