Toasted pecans magically marry with a tender-crisp, buttery, not too sweet, almost shortbread-like consistency to make this Butter Pecan Cookies Recipe. Is there any more superlatives I can throw at this cookie?!? Topped with candied pecans, these cookies are a sweet, salty, buttery bite of delight!
Place the pecans from the cookie batter and the Candied Pecan Topping on a large baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes until deeper gold and fragrant.
Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the butter for 2 minutes on medium high until light in color and texture.
Add the brown sugar and white sugar and continue to beat on medium high for 1 additional minute.
Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
Add one-third (1/3) of the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients and beat just until combined. Repeat 2 other times until all of the dry ingredients are combined.
Stir in 2 cups of toasted, chopped pecans into the cookie batter.
Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour or for 30 minutes in the freezer.
Candied Pecan Topping
Heat the sugar and salt in a medium sized sauce pan on a medium high heat. Do not stir it, but keep a close watch on it. You can shake the pan gently to redistribute the melting sugar, but again, don't stir. When the sugar melts and turns a liquid gold, quickly stir the pecans into the caramel/melted sugar and turn off the heat.
Do not leave the pecans in the pan too long, as they can burn quickly.Spread the caramel covered pecans in a layer one pecan deep if possible on a sheet of foil sprayed with non-stick spray to cool.
Chop the candied pecans into pea-size or smaller pieces as soon as the candied pecans have cooled and place on a large plate.
Using a standard size cookie scoop, collect the dough and then pat/roll into a ball. Firmly place the top of the dough ball onto the candied pecan pieces to collect a layer that will adhere to the cookie. Place onto the cookie sheet and press a pecan half into the center of the cookie dough ball.
Bake for 8-10 minutes until the bottom of the cookie is light brown and the center is set.