If you are a lover of sandies shortbread cookies that we all grew up eating, you will probably love this shortbread recipe (made with pecans instead of walnuts). This recipe might be a little different than your grandma’s recipe in that it is minimally sweetened. Unlike it is in most nut shortbread cookie recipes, in this version, the sweetness doesn’t take over the whole cookie. Instead, the flavors coming from butter, sugar, and pecans are equally balanced for the optimal shortbread cookie goodness. Intrigued? Let’s break it down.
What is the difference between granulated sugar and cane sugar?
As the name suggests, these cookies are naturally sweetened. While there are several natural sweeteners out there, like coconut sugar, date sugar, maple syrup, raw, etc., in this recipe I used natural cane sugar (this brand in particular – affiliate link). If you are like me, new to baking with unrefined sugars, allow me to explain. The main difference between natural cane sugar (also called Sucanat) and granulated white sugar is the way that they were produced. While producing granulated sugar requires heavy-duty and mechanical processing with many steps, producing natural cane sugar requires far fewer steps and no chemicals to get from plant to packaging. Now you may ask, is baking with natural cane sugar a healthier choice? Even though the answer is yes, I prefer to be cautious, as it is a proven fact that too much of any kind of sweetener, regardless of how natural it is, does not promote health. With that being said, I think a small switch from granulated sugar to natural sweeteners like natural cane sugar, dates, maple syrup, honey or coconut sugar might be a healthier choice. Plus, as in every dessert, you should consume it in moderation. This recipe is created by the talented cooks of America’s Test Kitchen and published on their cookbook Naturally Sweet (affiliate link). If you want to read more about natural sweeteners, how they are processed, and foolproof healthier sweets recipes, it is a cookbook that I recommend. I have been baking from it for many years and have always had amazing results.
How to make pecan shortbread cookies:
The recipe for shortbread cookies with pecans has 6 folds. First, start with grinding natural cane sugar (aka Sucanat) in a spice or coffee grinder. This is an important step as unlike granulated sugar, Sucanat’s granules are irregular in size due to the way they were produced. Grinding it ensures that all the granules are in equal size, and as a result, the sugar gets distributed evenly within the cookie dough. If you skip this step, your cookies might end up being less sweet. If you do not have a spice grinder, you can also use your food processor. It might take a few extra minutes to reach the ideal powdery “fine” texture we want, but it is totally doable. Once the cane sugar is ground set it aside. Second, prep your wet ingredients; egg yolks, water, vanilla extract, and melted butter (that is cooled), by mixing them in a small bowl. Third, reserve 30 pecans for decoration and grind the rest of them in your food processor. We want them finely ground. Add in the flour, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Process until combined. Fourth, pour the wet ingredients through the tube as the machine is running to thoroughly mix the dough. It is a good idea to stop the machine and scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula a few times to ensure a cohesive and smooth dough. Next, transfer the dough on to a clean kitchen counter. Bring it together and divide it in half. Using your hands turn each half into a log that is about 6-inches long and 2 inches thick. Finally, wrap each log tightly with plastic wrap, place in a glass or a jar, and chill for at least two hours, or even better, overnight. When you are ready to bake, preheat your oven to 325 F degrees, slice each log into ¼ inch thick slices. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange cookies on the sheet making sure that there is at least ¾ inch distance in between each cookie. However, as you bring the dough together, it will start getting together easily with the help of your body heat. Since this was the one and only “tricky” part of this recipe, I thought it would be nice to show it to you in a quick video so be sure to watch it. It is located inside the recipe card below. As a finishing touch, place a pecan on each shortbread cookie for a special touch. Bake for 16-19 minutes or until the edges of the cookies starts to turn golden brown. If you decide to bake both logs, I recommend using two separate baking sheets.
Other naturally sweetened cookies you might like:
Want more recipes where you can use unrefined sugar for baking cookies? Here are a few of my favorites:
Paleo Gingerbread Cookies with Almond FlourAlmond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies – VeganCoconut Sugar CookiesHealthy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Also try this Keto Orange Cookies or Olive Oil Sugar Cookies for a holiday-inspired cookieCan’t get enough? Check out all our easy cookie recipes.
