Sweet And Salty Pecan Shortbread Food

SALTED BUTTER-PECAN SHORTBREAD COOKIES RECIPE

Steps:

• 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.

SALTED PECAN SHORTBREAD SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line two 13x9-in. baking pans with foil, letting ends extend up sides of pan., Place flour, confectioners' sugar, cornstarch and salt in a food processor; pulse until blended. Add butter; pulse until butter is the size of peas. Divide mixture between prepared pans; press onto bottom of pans. Bake 10-12 minutes or until light brown. Cool on a wire rack., For filling, melt butter in a large saucepan. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook and stir until sugar is completely dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in chocolate chips, cream and vanilla until smooth. Stir in pecans. Spread over crusts., Bake 12-15 minutes or until filling is bubbly. Cool completely in pans on wire racks. Using foil, lift the shortbread out of pans. Gently peel off foil; cut each shortbread into 24 bars. Store in an airtight container.

PECAN SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Put butter, sugar, vanilla and cardamom in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally.
• Carefully add flour and pecans, and mix a few minutes more, at low speed at first, then medium, until dough comes together. Remove dough and knead for 1 minute. Press dough into a 9-inch square cake pan. (Alternatively, press into a 9-inch fluted French tart pan with a removable bottom.)
• Bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Let cool and cut into squares, bars or wedges with a serrated knife while still slightly warm. Store in a tin until needed. To serve, arrange on a plate and dust with confectioners' sugar.

SWEET AND SALTY PECAN SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Cream the butter, natural cane sugar, and 1 teaspoon of the salt in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a wooden spoon and beat until light and fluffy (see Know-how, page 315). Mix in the maple syrup and vanilla until evenly incorporated. Slowly add the flour on medium speed or with a wooden spoon, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl several times, just until all the flour is incorporated; do not overmix. Add the pecans and stir to mix.
• Turn the dough onto a piece of wax paper or plastic and roll into a 2-inch round log about 12 inches long. Combine the demerara sugar and remaining 1 teaspoon salt and stir to mix. Sprinkle the log evenly with the demerara sugar mixture and roll the log back and forth to adhere. Wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight, until firm.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two baking sheets or line with parchment paper.
• Cut the dough into 1/4-inch-thick slices and arrange on the baking sheets, spaced about 1 inch apart. Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with demerara sugar and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, shifting racks and rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until lightly golden around the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Serve warm or transfer to a baking rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container until ready to serve, or for up to 4 days.

SWEET AND SPICY PECANS

Steps:

• Stir 1 cup sugar into the hot water in a large bowl until the sugar is completely dissolved. Soak the pecans in the water for 1 hour; drain.
• Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line two 9x13 inch baking dishes with parchment paper.
• Sift the 2/3 cup sugar, chili powder, and cayenne pepper together in a separate large bowl; add the pecans and toss to coat evenly. Spread the coated pecans in a single layer into the prepared dishes.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the coating on the pecans are bubbly, stirring once, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the pecans from the pans immediately and spread onto a counter or other flat surface covered with parchment paper to cool.

SWEET AND SALTY PECANS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Stir together sugar, cream, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Add pecans, and stir until well coated. Spread pecans on baking sheet in an even layer.
• Bake, stirring every 5 minutes, until browned and toasted, 20 to 22 minutes. Sprinkle pecans with 3/4 teaspoon salt, and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Let cool.