Experience a delightful twist on a classic favorite with our Roasted Pecan Pie Cookies. These cookies feature a soft, buttery base topped with our signature roasted pecan pie filling. For an extra indulgence, add a dollop of whipped cream on top. It’s simply irresistible!
How do we elevate the flavor of these irresistible cookies? The secret lies in pan-roasting the pecans! Simply brown them in a hot, heavy-bottomed pan until they achieve a deep golden-red hue—just 5 minutes is all it takes! Find the complete instructions here.
Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure that your butter, eggs, and other dairy ingredients are at room temperature before beginning the baking process. This allows for easier incorporation and better texture in the final cookies.
Measure Ingredients Accurately: Use precise measurements for ingredients to maintain the proper balance of flavors and textures in your cookies. Invest in a kitchen scale for more accurate measurements, especially for ingredients like flour.
Cream Butter and Sugar Properly: Creaming butter and sugar together creates the base for most cookie recipes. Beat them together until light and fluffy to incorporate air into the dough, resulting in a softer texture.
Chill the Dough: After mixing the dough, chill it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (or as specified in the recipe). Chilling helps solidify the fat in the dough, preventing cookies from spreading too much during baking and resulting in thicker, chewier cookies.
Preheat the Oven: Always preheat your oven before baking cookies. This ensures even baking and prevents cookies from spreading too much while waiting for the oven to reach the desired temperature.
Use Parchment Paper or Silicone Baking Mats: Line your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats to prevent cookies from sticking to the pan and ensure easy cleanup.
Space Cookies Appropriately: Leave enough space between cookies on the baking sheet to allow for spreading during baking. Typically, this is about 2 inches apart.
Rotate Baking Sheets: For even baking, rotate your baking sheets halfway through the baking time to ensure that cookies bake evenly on all sides.
Watch Closely Near the End: Keep a close eye on your cookies near the end of the baking time to prevent them from overbaking. Cookies are done when the edges are lightly golden brown and the centers are set.
Cool Properly: Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This helps them firm up and prevents them from breaking apart when moved.
Enhancing Flavor Balance: The Role of Salt in Cookies
Balances Sweetness: Salt acts as a flavor enhancer, balancing out the sweetness of the cookie dough. It prevents the cookies from tasting overly sugary and adds depth to the overall flavor profile.
Amplifies Flavor: Salt not only enhances sweetness but also amplifies other flavors present in the cookies, such as chocolate or nuts. It brings out the natural flavors of the ingredients, creating a more complex and enjoyable taste experience.
Controls Bitterness: In recipes with ingredients like cocoa powder or dark chocolate, a small amount of salt can help to counteract any bitterness, resulting in a more pleasant and well-rounded flavor.
Aids in Texture: Salt not only impacts flavor but also influences texture. It can strengthen the gluten in the dough, resulting in a chewier cookie, or it can help to inhibit gluten formation for a more tender and crumbly texture, depending on the desired outcome.
Enhances Aroma: Salt contributes to the overall aroma of the cookies, helping to create a more enticing scent as they bake. This aroma enhances the sensory experience of enjoying freshly baked cookies.
Improves Shelf Life: Salt acts as a natural preservative, helping to extend the shelf life of cookies by slowing down the growth of bacteria and mold. This can help to maintain the freshness and quality of the cookies for a longer period.
Incorporating salt into cookie recipes is essential for achieving optimal flavor balance, texture, and aroma. Its presence enhances the overall taste experience and ensures that every bite is perfectly seasoned and enjoyable.
Mastering Flour Measurement for Baking:
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Scoop and Level Method: Use a dry measuring cup to scoop flour from the container. Fill the cup slightly overflowing with flour. Use the back of a knife or flat edge to level off the excess flour, creating a flat surface.
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Spoon and Level Method: Use a spoon to lightly scoop flour into the measuring cup. Fill the cup slightly overflowing with flour, but do not pack it down. Use the back of a knife or flat edge to level off the excess flour, creating a flat surface.
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Fluff, Spoon, and Level Method: Use a spoon to fluff the flour in the container, loosening it up. Gently spoon the flour into the measuring cup. Fill the cup slightly overflowing with flour, without packing it down. Use the back of a knife or flat edge to level off the excess flour, creating a flat surface.
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Weighing Method (Using a Kitchen Scale): Place a clean, dry bowl on the kitchen scale and reset it to zero. Carefully pour flour into the bowl until you reach the desired weight. Use the weight indicated on the scale to measure the flour accurately.
Pin to Make!
How to Make Roasted Pecan Pie Cookies
Ingredients
Cookie Base
- 4 cups (480 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Kosher sea salt finely ground
- 1 1/2 cups (340 grams) butter
- 1 cup (180 grams) dark brown sugar firmly packed
- 1 cup (180 grams) light brown sugar firmly packed
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Roasted pecan Pie Filling
- 2 cups (200 grams) Pan Roasted Pecans (see above) finely chopped
- 1 cup light brown sugar firmly packed
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Kosher sea salt to taste
Instructions
Cookie Base
- Mix flour, baking powder, and Kosher sea salt together in a bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl beat the butter and sugars together until fluffy, then add the vanilla and eggs one at a time beating until fully incorporated.
- Add half the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar, beat on low until combined add the remaining flour and beat until just combined. Chill the dough
Roasted Pecan Pie Filling
- Add the chopped Pan Roasted Pecans, light brown sugar, heavy cream, pure vanilla extract, and kosher sea salt and stir till combined.
Baking
- Preheat oven to 350°F/176°C line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Scoop 6 rounded mounds of dough onto your cookie sheet, about two tablespoons in size and 2 inches apart onto your parchment lined sheet pan. Make an indentation in the center of each cookie with the back of a spoon or your thumb. The cookie will spread out slightly and that is what we want. You'll have a little hole in the middle of each cookie base.
- Scoop about 1-2 teaspoon(s) of Roasted Pecan Pie filling into the center of each cookie pressing the mixture down gently.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies are baked and just starting to turn golden.
- Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then move to a cooling rack.
Notes
- Prep time is approximate.
- Once completely cooled, cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- To ensure they remain soft add an uncooked flour tortilla on the top and bottom of the cookies.
Creative Recipe Inspiration
Treat yourself to the delightful indulgence of our Almond Pastry Cookies. These delicate delights are crafted with care, combining the rich flavor of almonds with the buttery goodness of pastry.
Indulge in the exquisite fusion of flavors with our Pear Almond Cream Cheese Tart. Delicately poached pears nestled atop a luscious almond cream cheese filling, all encased within a buttery, flaky pastry crust.
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Hey there, fellow food enthusiast! Welcome to Mean Green Chef, where every dish tells a story and every recipe is a labor of love. I’m thrilled to share a bit about myself and the journey that led me here, stirring pots and sprinkling spices for over three decades!
