Food and Recipes Recipes Salted Butter-Pecan Shortbread Cookies Recipe 5.0 (5) 4 Reviews Treat the pecan lovers in your life with this salty-sweet shortbread. By Southern Living Test Kitchen Southern Living Test Kitchen The Southern Living Test Kitchen has been publishing recipes since 1970, four years after the first issue of Southern Living Magazine appeared on newsstands. The Southern Living Test Kitchen team includes a team of professionals with deep expertise in recipe development, from pastry chefs and grilling experts to nutritionists and dietitians. Together, the team tests and retests, produces, styles, and photographs thousands of recipes each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen facility located in Birmingham, Alabama. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on August 18, 2021 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Active Time: 15 mins Chill Time: 4 hrs Total Time: 4 hrs 40 mins Yield: 3 ½ dozen These buttery, salty-sweet slice-and-bake cookies will delight the butter-pecan lover in your life. For extra crunch, evenly coat both dough logs with turbinado sugar before slicing them into rounds. The dough can be made up to two days in advance if stored in the refrigerator. Ingredients 1 cup butter, softened ¾ cup unsifted powdered sugar 1 cup chopped toasted pecans 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour ¼ teaspoon baking powder 1 cup turbinado or Demerara sugar 1 large egg, lightly beaten 42 pecan halves (about 1 cup) Directions Beat butter in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until mixture is smooth, about 1 minute. Stir in chopped toasted pecans and vanilla. Whisk together flour and baking powder in a bowl. With mixer running on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture until blended. Transfer dough to a work surface; shape into 2 (7-inch) logs. Wrap logs separately in plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 2 days. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place turbinado sugar in a shallow dish. Unwrap logs, and brush evenly on all sides with egg. Roll each log in turbinado sugar. Cut logs into ⅓-inch-thick slices (you should have 42 cookies total), and place 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Top each cookie with 1 pecan half, pressing lightly to adhere. Bake in preheated oven until cookie edges are golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on baking sheets. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; cool 10 minutes. Rate it Print