Salty-sweet Butter Pecan Cookies

I don’t really like butterscotch chips or pecans but they are fabulous in these wonderful cookies!

Source:

This recipe was forwarded to me by my daughter, McKenzie. It was originally from King Arthur Flour Company

Yield:

4 dozen 3″ cookies

 Ingredients:

1  1/3 cups pecan halves

2/3 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon espresso powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon butterscotch, vanilla-butternut, or butter-rum flavor

1 teaspoon vinegar, cider or white

1 large egg

2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour, 9 ounces

1  1/3 cups butterscotch chips, 11 ounces

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons salt

Directions:

1) Heat the oven to 375°. Prepare two baking sheets.

2) Place the pecans in a single layer in a pan and toast until darkened a bit and smelling toasty, about 8 to 9 minutes. Set aside.

3) In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, 2/3 cup sugar, butter, shortening, salt, espresso powder, baking soda, vanilla, second flavor and vinegar. Beat until smooth and creamy.

4) Beat in the egg, again beating until smooth. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula to make sure everything is thoroughly combined.

5) Mix in the flour then the chips and nuts.

6) If you’re going to refrigerate the dough, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 4 to 5 hours or overnight. Cookie dough refrigerated for 3 1/2 to 4 hours will spread moderately; chilled overnight, it will spread much less.

7) Mix the second 2/3 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons salt for the coating in a bowl. Scoop 1 1/2″ balls of dough into the sugar/salt mixture, rolling to coat. Transfer to the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2″ between them on all sides.

8 ) Bake the cookies for 10 to 11 minutes. Their edges will be chestnut brown and their tops a lighter golden brown. (For dough that’s been refrigerated, add 30 seconds to 1 minute to those baking times.) Remove them from the oven and cool on the pan until they’ve set enough to move without breaking.

 Notes:

I used regular, all purpose flour. I used raw sugar for the coating, which made them a bit crunchier. I didn’t refrigerate the dough and they came out great though the balls were a bit dicey to handle while dipping and placing on the baking sheets.

I bought the vanilla-butternut flavoring on line from, who else but King Arthur Flour Company