I love me some shortbread. Sandy, melt-in-your-mouth, buttery shortbread. I’ve been dying to make Dorie Greenspan’s Pecan and Brown Sugar Shortbread for a long time. I finally remembered light brown sugar on my last trip to the grocery store so we were in business!

I followed the directions exactly, refrigerating the dough for nearly 5 hours before baking. My shortbread spread quite a bit – they’re not supposed to spread at all. They didn’t look like the picture in Baking: From My Home to Yours, and didn’t have the texture or taste of shortbread that I was looking for but they still tasted really good, nonetheless – think crispy, pecan-sandy wafers. (After doing some online research, I found others had the spreading problem, too.)

The cookies are going to make fabulous ice cream sandwiches this weekend when we crank up the ice cream maker for some French Vanilla!

Pecan and Brown Sugar Shortbread
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
pinch ground cloves*
8 oz unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup lite brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup pecans, finely ground
Confectioners sugar for dusting, optional

*I used nutmeg

Sift flour, cornstarch, salt & cloves. Using a stand mixer w. paddle, beat butter & brown sugar on medium speed for 3 minutes or until smooth, reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients just until they disappear, add pecans – (don’t overwork the dough).

Transfer dough inside a gallon sized ziploc & roll out to a 9 x 10 1/2″ rectangle and 1/4″ thickness. Turn and lift bag occasionally to avoid creases. When its the right size and thickness, seal bag (press out the air) and refrigerate dough at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets w/parchment or silpat. Place ziploc on cutting board and slit open. Turn dough onto board. With a sharp knife, (and ruler as a guide) cut dough into 1-1/2″ squares. Transfer to baking sheets and prick each cookie two times with fork, pushing tines through the cookies until they hit the sheet.

Bake 18-20 mins. rotating from top to bottom and front to back midway. They should be very pale and not take on much color. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool.

Optional: dust with confectioner’s sugar while still hot.

Cool to room temp. before serving.