Toffee Pecan Shortbread Cookies

These are tied in the top spot for my favourite Christmas cookie - I make them every year! You could really make them any time of year, but to me, Christmas and shortbread are a classic duo. Keep reading for a fun write up by Ryan! He also loves this cookies, so he snagged the task of writing this blog while we're driving home for family Christmas! Happy Holidays, everyone!

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Hey Folks, Ryan here!

Lindsay makes a lot of delicious Christmas cookie recipes every year, but these ones are really so good. These and the Terry's Chocolate Orange cookies are my favourite. Oh, and the ginger cookies (note from Lindsay: she hasn't put that recipe on her blog yet, but is very excited to share it). So, I thought I'd take a second to write about why I love these cookies. Here we go!

First of all, shortbread is delicious. But do you know whats better? Shortbread cookies with chocolate drizzled on top and toffee & toasted pecan inside. Yes, please. These cookies aren't "too" sweet, but really just perfect. The toffee gives them delicious sugary crunchy bits inside. They're not dry. I'm of the opinion that everything is better with chocolate, so the chocolate drizzle turns them from delicious to really quite addictive. I like that Lindsay makes them small, so I can eat three of them and consider it one cookie. An added bonus, you can slam one before heading out the door for your run. Eat up!

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Toffee Pecan Shortbread

Servings: About 20 cookies

Prep time: 20 minutes

Bake time: 10-12 minutes

Total time: 30 minutes

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INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup butter, cold and diced into small cubes

• 2/3 cup powdered sugar

• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 3/4 cup toffee bits, plus extra for topping (optional)

• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted

• 3 ounces dark chocolate

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Chop your pecans in to small bits, however large you want them to be in your cookies. I like mine to be 1/2cm or less, so quite small, because the cookies are small! Set a pan on the stove over medium-high heat, and pour in your chopped pecans. Let them toast, stirring every 30 seconds or so, until you can smell the delicious aroma of toasting nuts. It should only take about 2 minutes, but the amount it adds in flavour is so worth it! Toasting brings out the oil in nuts, and releases all the flavour.

2. Cut your cold butter in to small cubes, about 1cm wide. Combine the butter cubes and powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Start it on low speed, so the sugar doesn't fly everywhere and turn your kitchen in to a snow globe. Once it's combined enough with the butter, turn it up to high and beat until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

3. Beat in the vanilla and salt. Turn the speed back to low and add the flour, mixing just until the dough comes together. Once the flour is half incorporated in to your dough, add the toffee bits and toasted pecans. Continue mixing on low until just fully combined. Don't over mix it, or the cookies will become tough.

4. Scoop out your dough in to 40g balls, or about 1 heaping tablespoon. Roll them between your hands in to balls, and then flatten each one slightly. These cookies don't spread much in the oven, so they'll retain whatever shape you roll them out in to.

5. This dough should be refrigerated. I like to roll out my dough balls, and then transfer them to a tupperware container to refrigerate for at least an hour before baking. Doing it in this order is easier than trying to roll out the hard dough after refrigeration.

6. Heat oven to 350°F before removing the shortbread dough from the fridge.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the cookies on the prepared baking sheet, with at least an inch between each cookie. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until just barely turning golden brown around the edges and there is no raw looking dough in the center.  

7. Remove and cool completely

8. Chocolate drizzle time! My preferred way to do this is in a baine marie, which allows you to melt the chocolate without burning it and keep it hot while you work with it. I find it just as easy as microwaving my chocolate to melt it, and less risky as chocolate can burn really easily. No one wants wasted chocolate! Watch this 1-minute YouTube video, or place a pot on the stove with about an inch of water in the bottom. Bring it to a boil, then place another heat-proof bowl over top of the pot with your chocolate inside. The heat from the boiling water in the pot underneath will melt your chocolate. Alternatively, you can microwave your chocolate on low heat, stirring frequently to avoid burning it.

9. Drizzle the melted chocolate over your cookies, or dip 1/2 your cookie in the melted chocolate. Sprinkle on toffee bits or sea salt while the chocolate is still warm!

Did you make this recipe? Tag @thefittestfoodie_ on Instagram so we can share it!