I am attempting to bake a new batch of cookies every day in anticipation of the holidays to come. There have been a few unpublished failures along the way. Although this is the 5th published batch in my 12 Cookies of Christmas series (or 12 days of Cookies), there have been about 10 batches so far. Sometimes it’s good to go with a tried and true recipe – a win is a good thing!

Along the way I have been researching why things work the way they do in cookie recipes. I am always trying to improve. I posted my baking questions and answers here https://gardenlove.food.blog/2019/11/23/how-to-bake-the-best-cookies/

While I was creating cookies I started following Relijen at https://relijen.wordpress.com/2019/11/10/vintage-butter-pecan-cookies/ There is a similar – possibly better recipe posted for Jen’s mother’s Vintage Butter Pecan cookies. You should definitely visit this blog! I find it helpful to compare recipes and methods when trying to improve my own baking.

This is my mother’s recipe for Butter Pecan Cookies. It’s quite rich but soft and mellow. They are a little sweeter than a dry shortbread cookie. I make them fairly small so that they are a nice little treat. They can be made vegan by substituting Vegan margarine for the butter. The consistency of the cookie is a little different, but it works! As i use salted butter in this recipe – no need to adjust anything when using a salty margarine like Becel Vegan. There are no eggs or dairy other than the butter and they are unleavened – no baking soda or powder. Just little buttery crisp cookies.

Butter Pecan Cookie Recipe:

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of salt

1/2 cup chopped pecans – plus more for top of cookie

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking pan. If you prefer, you may use parchment paper.

Bring butter to room temperature, then beat until soft and fluffy. Mix in vanilla and brown sugar. Add salt. Gradually mix flour in to the butter/sugar mixture – beating and scraping the batter from the sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula. Stir in the chopped pecans.

Place teaspoon sized balls of cookie dough on to baking sheet. Flatten and shape into small circles – I use the back of my spoon and a spatula. I find that rolling with my hands is a bit too messy and sticky for me with these cookies. Top with a pecan or piece of pecan in the centre.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. ( I used my gas oven with the convection on), rotating the pan at halfway. Let cool. Makes about 24 small cookies.

This recipe made 24, but they are starting to disappear. I’ll be coming back to this recipe and making another bunch.