Brown Butter Pecan Wedding Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter

• A pinch of salt

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar divided

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 4 ounces (~ 1 cup) toasted and finely chopped pecans

Preparation

1. In a small saucepan brown 2 sticks of unsalted butter. Once it has been browned add it to the bowl of a stand mixer and let it cool until it re-solidifies. If you are short on time you can expedite this process by creating an ice bath and placing the stand mixer bowl in it.

2. Add a pinch of salt and 1/2 a cup powdered sugar to the re-solidified brown butter in the stand mixer. Beat with the paddle attachment on medium until it is light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add a tablespoon of vanilla and beat until combined. Then scrape down the sides of the bowl.

3. Add 2 cups of all-purpose flour to the mixer and slowly mix until it is incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again to ensure the flour is fully mixed in.

4. Slowly mix in the 4 ounces of toasted and finely chopped pecans. Stopping once they are all incorporated.

5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill the dough for an hour and a half.

6. Preheat the oven to 325 ºF (165 ºC). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

7. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and place at least an inch apart on the baking sheet.

8. Bake the cookies until they start to dry out but not so much that they turn golden brown. This should take about 20-25 minutes. Once they reach this point remove them from the oven and let them cool for 10 minutes.

9. After 10 minutes (it is important to do this while they are still warm) roll the cookies in the remaining 1 cup of powdered sugar. Place them on a rack to finish drying and then roll them one last time to create an even layer of powdered sugar.

10. Serve them with tea and store them in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

• Yield: ~ 24 cookies