Whole Wheat Pecan Shortbread Cookies
INGREDIENTS
2 ½ cups NuEast Red soft whole wheat flour
2 cups toasted pecans
¼ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
8 Tbs unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup brown sugar––ideally turbinado or maple sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, for brushing dough before baking
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350F. Add flour, pecans, baking powder, and salt to a food processor and pulse mixture until pecans are finely ground, and somewhat homogenous with the flour.
Cream butter and sugar together in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high, about 3 minutes. The sugar and butter should come together in an almost creamy consistency.
Add vanilla extract to the sugar/butter mixture, and slowly add flour with the electric mixer on low. Your dough should just come together in a shaggy mass once you’ve added all of the flour.
If the dough seems a bit too dry, add 1 teaspoon water until dough barely comes together. It should feel a little sandy, but should still hold together when squeezed in the palm of your hand.
Make 1 inch balls of dough placed 1 ½ inches apart, or feel free to chill your dough and roll out into a ¼ inch sheet. From there, you can use a cookie stamp to cut shapes, or cut into rectangles. Brush cookies with egg wash and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden-brown.