There must be a reason I always want to bake your cookies! ❤️❤️❤️. Last week the family and friends enjoyed the triple ginger chocolate chunk! Yum! This week it must be shortbread! I was wondering how long these keep or if you ever freeze them? Thanks for any advice you can share.
Oh that’s hilarious! I have yet to keep these longer than 24 hours before every two-legged mouse in the house devours them, even the ones who proclaim that they are “off eating the white death.” Sugar lovers unite!
These are totally delicious and I recommend making them. A couple of notes, though: if you have pecans that are anything close to fresh, and you grind them in a mini-prep, they will never get quite ground and will retain a lot of moisture. Exacerbating the challenge for me was that I baked them in a 9x9 tin, and the bake time was (as Susan said) longer-- in fact, quite a bit longer. It was very difficult to tell when they were done enough for phase two of the recipe. The residual moisture made the squares quite hard to de-pan. I would recommend using a flat piece of something (cardboard worked for me) cut to the size of the pan not only to flatten the dough before baking, but also (if you're using a square or rectangular vessel) to de-pan (cover and turn upside-down).
Thanks for your input! By the time the edges are getting nice and golden they should be done, but different pans will yield different bake times. I would also suggest a parchment sling under the dough for easy removal and sorry that I did not account for that! A regular size food processor is what I used to grind the nuts. You could also use a portion of the sugar or flour in with the nuts next time so you can grind them fiber without overdoing it.
Hi Susan -- please confirm -- do you grind up the entire vanilla bean pod? Thank you! Fabulous recipe which will be one of the three I am baking this weekend!
I am on my second batch of these cookies and this is even before the “official” start of my baking season. A friend remembered them from last year and was pretty adamant that I make some for a get together yesterday. I made them again for a party this evening and people were literally walking around with the sugared wedges asking “Who baked these? They are so delicious.” The recipe truly takes shortbread to the next level. I am almost afraid to make any other cookies. Thank you Susan!
Susan these are incredible! Ate the last pieces with our afternoon espresso today. Absolutely on permanent roster for us! I do have a couple of questions/notes from my experience baking them:
1) I was a little confused about the step to cutting the slices after the first bake. There was no mention of removing the bottom of the pan (I got there) - maybe that was a rookie mistake.
2) I tried to use a fresh vanilla pod which was an almost disaster for the pod. I ended up whizzing the sugar (I use Baker's Sugar not standard granulated) with the moist pod which made the extra fine sugar pretty powdery. I put all dry pods in my homemade vanilla extract so don't normally have dried out ones anymore :-( I thought it was a worthwhile last step so any other suggestions on how to achieve the vanilla sugar?
I just made these and they are amazing!! Perfect texture and pecan shortbread flavor, I have a feeling the family will be fighting over these….
Thanks Akiko!
There must be a reason I always want to bake your cookies! ❤️❤️❤️. Last week the family and friends enjoyed the triple ginger chocolate chunk! Yum! This week it must be shortbread! I was wondering how long these keep or if you ever freeze them? Thanks for any advice you can share.
They will keep well for about 5 days in an airtight container or tin and freeze extremely well!
Oh that’s hilarious! I have yet to keep these longer than 24 hours before every two-legged mouse in the house devours them, even the ones who proclaim that they are “off eating the white death.” Sugar lovers unite!
These are totally delicious and I recommend making them. A couple of notes, though: if you have pecans that are anything close to fresh, and you grind them in a mini-prep, they will never get quite ground and will retain a lot of moisture. Exacerbating the challenge for me was that I baked them in a 9x9 tin, and the bake time was (as Susan said) longer-- in fact, quite a bit longer. It was very difficult to tell when they were done enough for phase two of the recipe. The residual moisture made the squares quite hard to de-pan. I would recommend using a flat piece of something (cardboard worked for me) cut to the size of the pan not only to flatten the dough before baking, but also (if you're using a square or rectangular vessel) to de-pan (cover and turn upside-down).
Thanks for your input! By the time the edges are getting nice and golden they should be done, but different pans will yield different bake times. I would also suggest a parchment sling under the dough for easy removal and sorry that I did not account for that! A regular size food processor is what I used to grind the nuts. You could also use a portion of the sugar or flour in with the nuts next time so you can grind them fiber without overdoing it.
Beautiful recipe - seriously addictive!
your post today was lovely.
Thank you Paula!
Thanks Nicola!!
I have a 9 inch or 11 inch tart pan. Which one should I use?
Hi Susan -- please confirm -- do you grind up the entire vanilla bean pod? Thank you! Fabulous recipe which will be one of the three I am baking this weekend!
I am on my second batch of these cookies and this is even before the “official” start of my baking season. A friend remembered them from last year and was pretty adamant that I make some for a get together yesterday. I made them again for a party this evening and people were literally walking around with the sugared wedges asking “Who baked these? They are so delicious.” The recipe truly takes shortbread to the next level. I am almost afraid to make any other cookies. Thank you Susan!
Susan these are incredible! Ate the last pieces with our afternoon espresso today. Absolutely on permanent roster for us! I do have a couple of questions/notes from my experience baking them:
1) I was a little confused about the step to cutting the slices after the first bake. There was no mention of removing the bottom of the pan (I got there) - maybe that was a rookie mistake.
2) I tried to use a fresh vanilla pod which was an almost disaster for the pod. I ended up whizzing the sugar (I use Baker's Sugar not standard granulated) with the moist pod which made the extra fine sugar pretty powdery. I put all dry pods in my homemade vanilla extract so don't normally have dried out ones anymore :-( I thought it was a worthwhile last step so any other suggestions on how to achieve the vanilla sugar?